watch me ride the beat
by N. Nieve
Summary: "Oh! I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking." Wow, she's even prettier in front of me. Evie thought with both of her hands on her shoulders for support, as the blonde's hands kept a hold on her hips, keeping her still. "I'm really sorry." Or also known as the smutty Club!AU fic no one asked for.
1. never seen nobody like you around town

_Based on a conversation with a friend as we talked about how would it be if Mal and Evie didn't know each other and just casually happened to meet in a club. Also based on "I'm Gonna Love Ya" by our favorite girl Sofia Carson, so listen to it while you read this, is worth it. I am thinking of making a second part of this, maybe the morning after and adding a bit of fluff since I'm sure you guys felt the connection they have already. So let me know if you want it?_

 _Enjoy your reading! 3_

 _N. Nieve._

* * *

Darkness. Neon lights flashing everyone in the room. Changing their colors. Changing their lives for just one night. Loud music bursting through the speakers, controlling each and every movement of their bodies, following the rhythm, giving up on their personal problems just to enjoy one night out of trouble, having fun, living the moment. And for Evie, it wasn't going to be any different. Especially considering how busy she had been with college and then work. And she just had a weekend off, partying with her friends sounded like a good idea. So she dressed up for the occasion, her favorite blue dress on, the one that showed her perfect back, her black heels to make her legs look even longer, and her hair straight down. The perfect amount of makeup since she didn't need that much to look beautiful… but her favorite red lipstick could not miss the occasion.

One of her favorite songs was playing right when she got into the dance floor with a drink in hand. Her friends all cheering her up because she was just giving her all, oblivious of all the eyes staring at her with desire in them. Until she turned around and her own hazel eyes fell into the ocean. Blue ones staring directly at her. Her heart started beating really fast and she didn't even notice because she was just so lost in the blonde. Who immediately turned her eyes away when she noticed Evie looking back at her, catching her in the act. The brunette smirked and a million thoughts started to run inside her mind, it was like a race, and Evie absolutely knew which one was going to win. She moved her head towards the dance floor looking at her friends, making them known that getting into the crowd, closer to people, seemed like a good idea, especially if she was going to get closer to the blonde she suddenly needed to know better.

"Jay, here. You can drink the rest of my drink." Evie said without looking at him as she handed him the drink, her eyes too busy focused on the blonde's movements against one of her friends. God, she just hoped he wasn't her boyfriend for what she was about to do.

"Evie, what are you doing?" Jay asked as he followed close behind and the rest of their friends too. The empty glass already forgotten somewhere near the bar. "Is this one of your tricks to-?" And just as he was about to finish her question, Evie already got in the blonde's way, running into her. "Yes, it's one of your tricks to get into her pants." He whispered and shook his head, the brunette was so obvious sometimes, especially when it came to flirting. For some reason the others were oblivious to her acting. Which made it even more perfect.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking." Wow, she's even prettier in front of me. Evie thought with both of her hands on her shoulders for support, as the blonde's hands kept a hold on her hips, keeping her still. "I'm really sorry." The brunette ran her fingers through her hair and her other hand touched the girl's nape, without her even noticing it. She seemed to be too busy holding Evie by her waist. Her fingers slightly touching her bare back.

"Don't worry. It's not your fault. I wasn't paying attention either." Her voice was soft and Evie thought she sounded like an angel… maybe she was a fallen one and hid her black wings under that amazing crop top that showed her toned abs. Evie bit her lip and looked down for a second before gaining back her stability. Hands leaving her neck but gently passed the tip of one of her nails over her skin in the process, making the other girl moved her head slightly to the side. A smirk appearing on Evie's lips before she got a chance to keep her emotions under control. She was just so expressive sometimes.

"Let me buy you a drink. To apologize for being so clumsy sometimes," Evie laughed and waited for an answer before she noticed someone coming over and tapped on the other girl's shoulder, who huffed and turned around almost instantly. Whatever this guy was, the blonde seemed indifferent towards him. She saw them exchanging a few words before the girl looked at her again and smiled.

"That sounds like a good reason to forgive you." She joked taking a step closer because the music was just so loud there was a high chance the brunette wouldn't hear her. But she did, completely. And also didn't mind the short distance. It seemed like there wasn't any space between the two of them. "Pick whatever you want. Your choice. I'm not picky."

What if I want you? Evie wanted to ask. She was already mesmerized by the woman in front of her and all she could think about was kissing her lips since they seemed oh, so intoxicating. People say the eyes are the gateway to your soul, Evie thought the lips were the gateway to your body. They held so many memories. It held passion, softness, sweetness just as it could hold the opposite of it if your body told you otherwise. She was already lost in them, and maybe the blonde noticed because when Evie looked up, she was staring back at her, her eyes suddenly moving upwards as if she was looking at her lips too.

"I'll be right back, then." The brunette smiled and walked to the bar with a smile on her face, throwing a wink at her friends when she made her way there, Jay and Harry shaking their heads in disbelief. She was just too much sometimes. But did they wish to know how to flirt that good and actually succeed. Her smile just screamed victory in every language. She just shrugged when they gave her the look and ordered two drinks, leaning slightly towards the bartender. As she waited, she turned around and saw the blonde staring at her from the distance, she waved at her with a smile on her face.

"How do you do it?" Jay asked, sitting next to her.

"I don't even know. It's a natural instinct."

"To flirt?" Harry added, taking the other seat and finishing his beer.

"I'm good at it. What can I say?" Evie shrugged and paid the drinks before taking them. "I guess I'll see you guys around." She chuckled and went straight to where the blonde was standing, not noticing the guy next to her, but noticing instead the tired expression she had on her face. She seemed tired of whatever he was doing or talking about. And so, she changed directions and moved through the other side of the club. Approaching her from behind. It wasn't the same boy as before, this one seemed like a douche, especially considering how insisting he was and how Mal looked around to find a way to get out of there or looking for someone to save her.

"Here you go," Evie whispered in her ear and passed an arm around her waist with her drink in hand, chuckling at the slight jump the girl made at the sudden appearance. "I didn't mean to startle you. I'm Evie, by the way."

"It's okay, I'm glad you're here, Evie. Name's Mal." She whispered too and smiled at her, suddenly being so close to her face that she could feel her cheeks blushing little by little, especially every time she looked down at the other girl's lips. Evie noticed and took the chance to lick her bottom lip, teasing the blonde, who bit her own at the same time. "Can we go dance?"

"Sure," Evie grabbed her hand and took her to the dance floor, far away from the insistent guy who was already raising an eyebrow at them. Evie's grip on her hand tightened, letting her know she knew why Mal asked her to dance in the first place, and if she was going to be her knight in shining armor, she wasn't going to protest.  
Not at all.  
Especially when she got to dance with the most beautiful girl she had ever seen in her entire life. "Do you know him?" Evie whispered and took a sip of her drink.

"No. Well, yes, a little bit. He's one of my best friend's friends. He's been trying to be with me for months and also getting on my nerves." Mal rolled her eyes and moved a bit following the rhythm. And with just a swing of her hips, Evie felt her throat starting to dry. She was starting to get thirsty. So, she took a step closer. Not only because she needed to feel Mal against her, moving closer to her body, seeing her ride the beat and feeling her curves under her fingertips on every dance move, luckily the drinks already forgotten somewhere else. But her thoughts were interrupted as soon as the brunette felt someone staring at them, and she wasn't wrong. "He's staring, isn't he?"

"Yes, and he's starting to annoy me too." Evie huffed and put a hand on Mal's waist before gulping down the entire drink and gave the glass to the bartender that walked past them in that moment. "Maybe we should do something about it." She whispered, both hands on her hips this time, a smirk playing on her lips as she watched Mal's reaction.

"Maybe we should…" The blonde replied and left the drink to the guy who was next to her, an unknown person, as if she would even care who. Mal gave her the look before turning around and pressed her back against Evie's chest, hair falling down her left shoulder. The brunette saw immediately her pale skin in full sight, begging to be kissed, and for a second she imagined her lips going down, from her jaw to her shoulder, kissing, biting and then soothing the bruised skin with her tongue. Marking Mal even when she wasn't hers to claim.  
Then Evie brushed her nose against the exposed skin. Hands finding its way to her abdomen. Slender fingers touching her toned muscles for the first time, noticing how they tensed under her soft touch. And in just an instant, Mal went down, following the beat, 'falling' on the ground in the most seductive way Evie had ever seen. Then her eyes captured her lower back, and her mind imagined how it would look to have Mal under her own body, reaching the stars to claim them as her back arched in the most beautiful way for the most pleasurable reason. "See something you like?" She heard her, not noticing the blonde was already at the same height once again—well, maybe a few inches smaller.

"You have no idea…" Evie whispered into her ear and her lips brushed the side of her neck once again, pressing her body against herm laying a hand flat on her stomach. Her perfume was intoxicating. There was something about this girl that Evie really liked. Then she pressed a soft kiss on her pale skin, noticing her pulse quickening under such a delicate touch. Her touch.

She kissed her way up, a wave of pleasure running through her entire body. It wasn't until she reached her jaw that she noticed Mal looking right at her, her pupils slightly dilated, maybe because of the lights or maybe because of Evie. The brunette left a last kiss on her jaw with her eyes locked on Mal's. And then she saw a glimpse of gold in her emerald eyes, green turning into a clearer color as pupils dilated even more.

She had hit a weak spot.

Evie smirked when the blonde tilted her head to the side, allowing her to continue kissing her neck but instead of repeating that, she bit down, hard. And as she soothed down the pain, she noticed Mal's hand on her hair, pulling her closer. She didn't want her to stop. She wanted to keep going, but also needed something else. And so, her lips moved upwards once again, this time not stopping midway to focus on her throat or bit her jaw once again, her lips brushed slightly against Mal's, a smirk playing on them when she noticed Mal leaning in a little bit as she pulled away.

"Why do I feel like you're going to tease me?" The blonde whispered, turning around in her arms and putting both of her hands on her shoulders, going slowly closer. "I'm not sure if I would enjoy that."

"Let me tell you something…" Evie's hands moved to the other girl's face, tapping her chin with her finger as she raised her head slightly. "There's something about teasing that makes it so, so enjoyable. Even just a gentle touch…",the brunette explained while grazing her fingers along the curve of her neck, making Mal's head roll back, allowing her to see more skin, "can make you touch the stars," she gently passed the tip of her nails once again down the blonde's neck, just as she did when they met, this time not so subtle. She felt a vibration under her fingertips, a moan? Just by running down her nails on her neck? Evie couldn't wait to make her really moan.

"I see what you're saying."

"Teasing involves patience, and focusing merely on feeling the pleasure slowly building up inside, from here," Evie touched the lower part of her stomach and ran her hand up her body, touching every single spot delicately, feeling her quickening breath under her fingertips, a gasp leaving her lips when her hand landed on her throat, "to here. Where the language of your body takes form and transforms into sound. Is the only way your body wants to show how it feels. That and the way you move, the way you react to gentle touches, soft kisses, little nips exactly where you didn't expect them to be. Everything gets out of here, in moans, your body begging to release. To launch. To feel."

"You seem to know a lot about this…" Mal whispered, her lips parting oh, so deliciously.

A chuckle left Evie's mouth. "I don't… I just know what I like."

Mal groaned the second she felt Evie's lips against hers, kissing her for the first time, and it wasn't like she expected it to be. At all. The brunette's lips were taunting them, meeting hers and starting to know them. It wasn't rough or too passionate. It was just slow and soft, lips parting for the first time and a shy tongue sliding into Mal's mouth to begin a battle of dominance and teasing, so much teasing. Evie had both of her hands on her neck, her thumbs caressing her cheeks as she gently dug her nails into the back of her neck, causing a moan to fall out of Mal's lips right when she trapped her bottom lip between hers, teeth grazing slightly before she pulled away. Her breath stuck in her throat for once. Mal kissing the corner of her mouth once again before she flickered her eyes open.

"He's gone…" The blonde whispered, eyes locked on Evie's.

"What?" She replied, confused at first, then she turned around and realized the annoying guy left probably a while ago. " Oh, yes. I guess he gave up."

"Maybe we should too…" Mal's hands moved to her back, pulling her in, feeling her chest pressed against her chest. And for the first time in her life, Evie thought she wouldn't be in control most of the night. Maybe she would surrender to Mal and her touch at the end of the night. Maybe for once, Evie would stop teasing and let herself be teased. "Maybe we should give up on this club and just leave… go somewhere quieter?"

The brunette could say she was serious. There was no sign of doubt in her words. Not even a clue of hesitation in her voice. "I live close, just a ten-minute ride. We can call a taxi." Evie said without thinking twice. She even surprised herself. She didn't do this most of the time, in fact, she had only done it twice, and she refused to go home to get laid. She would not let a stranger into her apartment. But Mal felt different, and the consequences would come later when she woke up but for now, she just wanted to feel her naked body against hers.

"Okay, let me tell my friends that I'm leaving. Meet me outside." Mal kissed her cheek and left her in the middle of the dance floor, not before passing her finger down the valley between her breasts as she walked past by her. Evie closed her eyes and inhaled sharply, letting the air leave her mouth seconds after, slowly, as she recovered from being beaten at her own game, and moving on to go and talk to her friends.

It was going to be a long night.

It took her a few minutes because Jay and Harry were basically a pain in the ass talking about how she was going to regret having sex with someone she barely even knew once she wakes up. She ignored them of course, there was no need to think about it twice. She made her choice.

She was going to bring Mal home and fuck her senseless.

* * *

"Looking for someone?" Evie heard when she put a foot on the streets, turning around to see Mal going out at the same time as she did. And for some reason, all the neon and darkness didn't let her see how beautiful the blonde really was. She didn't even notice her hair, the amazing purple tips standing out her features. Her eyes falling to her plump lips, the need of kissing her again building inside of her… and so she did. Evie took a step closer and kissed her once again, pressing her lips lightly against hers as first but then catching her off guard as passion was shown in just one kiss. Evie heard her moan as hands got tangled in her hair, pulling her closer. And when she heard that moan… she just wanted to get home faster than before.

"Let's go. Our taxi is waiting." Evie whispered and pecked her lips quickly, her hand in Mal's, holding it tight as she made her way to the taxi, opening the door for the blonde a few seconds later. "Good night," she said politely before giving her address and then focusing her attention on Mal once again, her body so close to hers already.

"Ever heard of personal space?"

"Actually… No. I'm not a fan of it." Evie whispered putting her seatbelt on before kissing her jaw and slowly made her way up, nipping at her earlobe for a second with Mal's hands on her chest, the blonde breathing deeply before speaking.

"I— uh," Then Mal realized they were still in a taxi, halfway to Evie's apartment, both of her hands clasped together on her chest. "Evie…" And she couldn't care less.

"Yes?" The brunette whispered close her ear before leaving a kiss behind. Lips finding her weak spot on her neck almost instantly. As if she knew where to touch and what to do for years now.

"I need you," She muttered into the other girl's ear before nipping her earlobe, a smirk playing on her lips the entire time as her hands played with her hair until she pulled it slightly, making the brunette's eyes fall into hers. " Now."

It was barely a whisper. A whisper against Evie's mouth and even herself could feel her own eyes darkening at the thought of taking the girl right there, on the back seat of a taxi. "How long 'til we get there?" Evie looked at the window and saw they were near her house, probably a couple of minutes away from their final destination.

"Two minutes," Evie bit Mal's bottom lip and pulled away slightly, groaning at the sight of green eyes getting emerald by each second that passed. "We're not going to make it to the bed."

"Is that a problem?"

"Not at all." Evie kissed her lips for one last time before they reached the destination.

She paid and got out of the taxi as fast as she could because when she least expected it she was opening the door of her apartment— well, trying to. Mal was making it quite difficult with the kisses on her bare shoulder and her hands wandering over her body, touching every inch of skin she could, especially her back. "Mal, you're making this difficult." Her voice wasn't helping, she quivered a little bit the second she felt a finger running up her spine as the blonde sucked on her neck, hard. Her legs starting to tremble.

"I'm sorry, you're just so hot, I can't control myself."

A chuckle left her lips. "I know," Evie said and finally opened the door, taking a step inside and closing it by pushing Mal against it. Her hands already lifting up her shirt and tossing the clothing somewhere in the living room. Her fingers fixated on her skin, grabbing her waist, touching her skin and feeling how hot it was. Plump lips brushing against the other's slightly. Breaths stuck in their throat as they stared at each other with passion in their eyes. Until Evie's eyes fell down and stared at full lips begging for her to kiss them, but instead, she just raised one of her hands, fingers touching her bottom lip, parting her lips slightly as she bit her own. "I feel like I'm already addicted…", Evie whispered, her thumb tracing the heart line of her upper lip. "I love your mouth."

A kiss.  
"And you still haven't seen what this pretty mouth can do."

Fuck. A single word appeared on her mind. A thought. A smirk. And suddenly Mal's lips were on hers, parting quickly, a tongue sliding into her mouth trying to win the battle, to gain the dominance, to claim Evie's mouth as hers. To get a little taste. To moan against her lips.  
Zip. Evie didn't even realize her dress falling into the floor. She did notice when the soft fabric of her blue dress touched her feet and she pulled away from the kiss. Seeing Mal looking down at her naked body turned her on. Even more than the situation already did. She wasn't wearing a bra, so Evie just stood there, in front of her, with just her lace panties. And Mal was doing nothing at all, so she took a step back, hands falling onto her hips, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "Are you just going to stand there and watch or do you plan to actually take care of this?"

Mal unzipped her own jeans and took them off before taking a few steps closer to the girl. "I plan on fucking you all night."

"We have to see that because that's what I have on mind."

Evie closed the distance and grabbed her face, pulling her in, kissing her in the lips once again. It was rough, harsh, but somehow they managed to make it slow. The brunette sighed when Mal got so close that she could feel the material of her bra brushing against her warm skin. And without a further notice, she unclasped her bra, smiling against the other girl's mouth when she heard her chuckle.

"Can't wait?"

"I just think it's so unfair for me to be more naked than you…" Evie whispered and pecked her lips before starting to kiss her shoulder, sliding the straps off before pulling it from the front, revealing Mal's body to her for the first time that night. Her nails grazed her abdomen, feeling the muscles tensing under her touch and the sharp inhale the girl almost exhale. "You're so hot." She whispered against her skin, a smile spreading on her face as she continued kissing her shoulder, going a bit down to suck on her collarbone before she pulled her a little bit closer.

And damn the moment she did so.

Because now all she was seeing was Mal's breasts in front of her face due to the blonde being on her tiptoes at the sudden pull. Evie could swear she felt her mouth watering at the sight. Being so thirsty out of the sudden as her lips hovered over her breast, brushing against her skin before leaving a kiss on top until her tongue tipped her nipple, causing an instant reaction on Mal, who was already arching her back towards her. "Desperate much?"

"Shut up." She quickly replied and pushed Evie to the couch, moving on top of her and pinning her down putting both of her hands above her head before she kissed her deeply, her hips bumping down into the brunette's, causing her to release a moan from her gorgeous lips. "Who's desperate now?"

Evie laughed when she saw the raised eyebrow and turned them around, not remembering how small her couch was because in just a second they were on the floor, but with the brunette on top of Mal, just like she wanted. "Auch," Mal laughed and touched the back of her head while Evie grabbed a cushion to put it under it. "So considerate."

"It's just for you to be more comfortable, I'm too needy to move to the bedroom," Evie whispered as she kissed her lips once again. Hands wandering all over her body, touching all the right spots. Starting on her legs and slowly making her way up, stopping on the side of her breasts. "Remember what we talked at the club?" She whispered against her lips, a mischievous look in her eyes as she talked.

Mal narrowed hers as she played with the hem of her panties. "Don't you dare..."

"Indeed I will…" Evie replied and leaned down once again to leave a gentle kiss on her lips before starting to go down, her lips barely brushing against hers. Even when she just wanted to kiss her the entire night because her mouth was just so addicting, she couldn't help but want something more. She started to go down, kissing every inch of skin, especially her throat, biting and sucking until a mark was left, claiming Mal as hers for the rest of the night. Her nose brushed between her breasts, sending a thousand chills through Mal's body. "I think I might fall in love with your abs…" She whispered, her tongue running up the abdominal line, going up until she started kissing the top of her breast. " Well, with your body, to be honest." Her mouth hovered over a nipple as she smiled when Mal pushed her against her chest, a hand tangled in the brunette's hair. "Relax…" She whispered before she brought a nipple into her mouth, her tongue coming out to play and tease the other girl. A soft gasp was heard in the empty room as hands got even more tangled in her hair when Evie started to thumb the other.

The brunette could tell the girl under her was about to kill her. She didn't know how much time she spent playing with her breasts but it felt like an eternity to Mal, so she started squirming underneath her, hands pulling Evie's hair slightly. "Evie… you're killing me over here." She huffed, another moan leaving her mouth.

"Don't you feel it?" Evie whispered, licking her lips as she rested her chin on her stomach, pressing slightly so she could feel her own tension.

"Yes, I do. But I want to feel you." The blonde huffed again, her hand on her own hair, pulling a bit to release the tension that was slowly building inside of her. A groan got out of her throat when Evie nipped at the skin of her abdomen. She was slowly making herself down and Mal was getting wetter by each second that passed. Too much teasing, even for her. "Evie."

"Yes, M?" Her teeth pulled at the only fabric that was left on the blonde's body.

"I need you, ple— oh my god." She inhaled, sharply, a wicked tongue pressed slightly against her core, over the panties and still managed to make her moan and shiver, her body asking for more as she bumped her hips upwards, searching for more.

" Shhh… Enjoy the moment." Evie whispered, her husky voice doing unbelievable things to Mal's senses. "Relax, trust me. You're going to enjoy this as much as I say if you believe me." Yes. Teasing is amazing but not when it comes to the point of torture, which was what the blonde felt. Like she was being tortured by the most amazing woman she had ever met. A single kiss was pressed on her hipbone as hands pulled her underwear down her long legs, until they were on the floor next to her clothes, leaving her completely naked and at her mercy. Her legs slightly opened so Evie positioned herself between them, biting her lip at the glistening between her thighs. "You're so wet." Slender fingers ran up and down her folds right before she licked a harsh and long stripe through them, smiling at Mal's reaction, who just opened her legs even further.

"E…"

Evie did it again, this time with a little bit more of pressure, her hands playing at the entrance, teasing the girl, not knowing if it was the time to go in or not but it was getting too much even for her so in just a few seconds she entered two fingers into her, knuckle-deep, curling them slightly as Mal's back arched and her hand ended up tangled in her hair once again, pulling her closer. Evie flickered her tongue on her clit and sucked, hard, her rhythm increasing, making the girl below her moan her name.

And Evie swore she never liked the sound of her name better than when it comes from Mal's mouth. Except when she started to moan louder, and above all the things she thought the blonde would be, a screamer wasn't one of them. Her neighbors were going to be so pissed at her the next day if they heard what was going on in that exact moment… and probably the rest of the night too.

" Fuck… " It was barely a whisper from the blonde's mouth but enough to bring Evie back to where she was and what she was doing. No time to think twice and definitely not the time for teasing now. She saw her chest falling up and down due to her erratic breath, hand in her chest as the other got tangle in Evie's hair, pulling her closer just to feel her deeper. And the brunette would never forget how Mal looked when she detached her mouth from her cunt, head thrown back, her teeth sinking in her lower lip to keep the loudest moans inside of her system but still got out somehow because the pleasure was just too much. Her hips jerking up the ground to find Evie's mouth, following the rhythm of her fingers and increasing by each second that passed. She could feel how close Mal was and so she nipped her swollen clit, feeling the blonde tensed as her fingers continued to do wonders to her.

The two of them now face to face as Mal came undone in her arms and moaning her name against the brunette's lips, her cum coating her hand and probably the floor too.

Evie couldn't care less, to be honest.

She slowed down as she held a trembling Mal in her arms, trying to catch her breath as Evie left a trail of kisses on her neck until she reached her lips, kissing her softly. Something she never did with someone she just met but somehow, on their own way, it felt natural to do so.

"Do you regret leaving your friends behind?" Evie whispered and left little kisses on her lips as a smirk appeared on hers, hands slightly caressing her sides, going up and down to touch her legs too, the ones that were still around her waist. A chuckle leaving her mouth when the blonde just hummed in response, too focused on the brunette's lips and lifting her head to kiss her every time she pulled away. "I take that as a no."

"Definitely. Wish I ran into you sooner, or well… you ran into me." The blonde laughed and sat down while kissing Evie, moaning against her mouth when she finally tasted herself. She leaned against the front of the couch and brought Evie with her, the brunette now sitting on her lap, her panties already forgotten somewhere in the room. "I didn't notice you had blue highlights…" Mal whispered touching Evie's soft hair.

"You were so busy moaning my name to take a good look at me."

"You're so… confident. It's sexy." The blonde laughed and touched the girl's back pulling her closer, her chest pressed slightly against hers. She bit her lip looking down at their bodies, too focused on her own thoughts until Evie hissed at the touch. And Mal frowned. "Are you okay?"

"I think we forgot to take our heels off…" The brunette laughed and cupped the other girl's cheeks. "But I'm fine, I'm sure it's just a scratch. I didn't even notice it." Who would've known she would enjoy having marks of the blonde's heels on her back?

"Sorry…" Evie kissed her pout away and quickly slid her tongue inside of her mouth, rough, passionate. She just wanted to go back to how it was before she noticed the scratches on her back.

"Don't be…"

"Why?" Mal whispered pulling away slightly and nipped her chin. Her fingers tracing figures on her skin, soothing the scratches in case they hurt.

"Because I may like it rough … who knows?"

The blonde took a second to process the information as she took a closer look at the brunette's face. From her hazel eyes to her plump lips. She was just so gorgeous. Her flawless skin was addicting and her hands always found a way to touch her in all the right places… or where she wanted to touch. And in that exact moment, her hands went straight to her long legs, caressing her soft skin with her fingers as her eyes fell to the brunette's toned abs. "You were right, by the way…"

"Huh?"

"The teasing… I enjoyed it. A lot."

"I told you… You gotta find pleasure in the small details. And teasing is just so much fun…" Especially when I do it. She thought to herself and saw the smirk on Mal's face. "But I'm not letting you do the same to me. I might be a goner sooner than expected." She laughed and ran a hand through her hair as the blonde started to kiss her throat, open-mouthed kisses that were driving the brunette crazy as she arched into her, which made Mal be closer to her chest.

Her mouth watering at the sight of her perky round breasts right in front of her face. If only she moved a little bit forward she could just… "See something you like?" But of course, she had to tease even when it was her time to receive.

"Shut up…" She whispered once again and closed her mouth around her nipple, biting gently before passing the tip of her tongue over it. A sharp inhale was heard in the room before a moan invaded Mal's ears. And in that exact moment, she wanted to make her moan for the rest of the night. Mal grazed her teeth over the skin before passing her tongue between her breasts as her hand went down and squeezed her thigh in anticipation of what was about to happen.

"M, I need you…" The nickname was something she wasn't used to, at least coming from the brunette's mouth, but it sounded sexy when she said it with her husky voice, it turned her on, especially when she could feel the heat radiating from her sex on the palm of her hand. Evie leaned down and captured the other girl's lips in a searing kiss right when Mal started to rub circles on her clit, already swollen and desperate to be touched. The brunette moaned against her mouth and moved her hips, grinding against the blonde's hand, who could feel how wet she already was for her.

"Don't worry," Mal whispered against her mouth, looking into her eyes right when she entered her with three fingers, eliciting a loud moan from the brunette, "I don't feel like teasing tonight." She smirked and kissed her deeply as she started a slow rhythm, but instead of taking control, she followed the movement of Evie's hips. She was taking control on top of her, riding her fingers as if she had done it before and knew exactly how to move to take the most pleasure out of it. Her hips moving in circles, Mal's palm touching her clit every time she moved forward and you know what made it even hotter? The fact that they couldn't stop kissing for just one second. Evie's moans ended up in Mal's mouth as they continued to kiss, slowly, tempting, their tongues touching so delicately from time to time, not fighting for dominance, no battle to rise, the level of intimacy growing by each second that passed.

"D-don't… don't move." Evie whispered between moans and kisses and Mal looked at her confused and stopped moving her fingers inside of her just when Evie started to move, fast. The blonde was sure by her moans and by the way her walls clenched around her fingers that Evie was close. So she started to rub her swollen clit in circles as her wicked tongue played with her nipple, mouth hovering over her breast before sucking, hard, leaving a few marks on her skin before giving full attention to them.

Mal loved the view. Evie looked like a goddess rocking her hips like her life depended on it. Her head backwards and her delicious lips parted emitting the sweetest moans. Her shoulders tensed and the veins showing on her neck, her clavicle in full disposition and Mal just wanted to kiss every inch of her skin, and so she did. She bit down on her clavicle before soothing the pain with her tongue as Evie continued to ride her fingers until she felt her whole body tensing in her arms and her lips parting before screaming her name, walls clenching so tight against her fingers and cum coating her hand and part of her legs.

For a minute nothing but Evie trying to recover her breath was heard in the room, and maybe some kisses as she continued to gain the air her lungs so desperately needed. Mal removed her fingers and hugged the girl still trembling in her arms as she left soft kisses on her neck and shoulder.

"Wow…"

"Indeed."

Both of them laughed and pressed their foreheads together, a smile playing on their lips as the air got into the brunette's system. Recovering. Slowly, but recovering. "Come here," the brunette whispered before connecting their lips once again, not before taking a look at the clock. 4AM. Maybe there was still time for another round.

"We should move this to your bed," she heard the blonde whispered and Evie smirked, glad she was thinking the same.

"Let's go, then. I'm still not done with you." Evie muttered and stood up, taking off her heels once and for all and watching the other girl do the same. "You're tinier than I expected."

"Shut up. I'm not."

"Yes, you are, but you know what?" The brunette lifted the girl in her arms and left a single kiss on her lips. "It means I get to carry you around and take you everywhere in this house." Mal groaned and kissed her again as Evie took them to the bedroom.

This time they did make it to the bed.

And also made it 'til the end.

When Mal passed out in Evie's arms after four rounds of the best sex she had ever had.

And probably not the last.


	2. this intimate situation

Rays of sunshine streamed through the windows when the brunette turned around and faced the sun. Her whole body moved when the light started to annoy her, especially her eyes, though they were still closed. She turned around once again and opened her eyes after blinking a few times to get used to the light of that sunny day. And then, memories of the night before came rushing to her mind and a smirk made an appearance on her lips. Her eyes falling into a new land with a lot to discover, where she could still get lost in porcelain skin and plump lips, where herself would fall into the abyss between fantasy and reality without a way out because pleasure and dreaming were way better than living a normal life as a college student.  
But then, she blinked. Once. Twice. Until all she saw was blonde hair and a naked back, her eyes following down until they reached the silk blue sheet covering the girl's bare body. You may call her crazy for feeling such a deep connection with someone she just met and had sex with, but it was true. Evie felt something building inside, she didn't know what it was yet but for some reason she needed to get closer, impossibly closer, until her soul touched the other's and a red string on their fingers kept them together even if they were going to be further apart in just a few hours, or minutes. Maybe Mal wanted to leave the second she woke up, or luckily Evie would convince her to stay in bed for a few more minutes.

Her hand moved forwards, pausing for a second as doubts started to invade her mind. Maybe acting so soft after the wildest night of her life wasn't the right thing to do, or maybe it was because Evie loved cuddling, even if it was with a stranger, though Mal didn't feel like it. Maybe she was going to get wounded, or maybe she was going to be her wound. Only her reaction would clarify things. But since when Evie cared about what if's? She never did. She just wanted to live the moment, and damn the consequences.  
And so she moved closer to the girl, her hand touching the light scratches she couldn't help but make the night before as Mal's mouth did wonders to her. Her chest already pressed against her back when her lips found her bare shoulder and left light kisses, her arms around her waist, one of her hands laying flat against her stomach right when she felt her inhaling and murmuring something that probably not even her understood. Evie chuckled, mouth wandering over her pale skin as she felt the girl in her arms starting to wake up because her whole body shook a little when an open-mouthed kiss was left on the side of her neck.

"Good morning," the brunette whispered and touched her abdomen with the tip of her fingers, her husky voice coming in clean straight into the blonde's ear, which made her shiver in anticipation and smile a bit at the sudden closeness. "Did you sleep well?"

"Morning," Mal yawned and got closer to Evie, running a hand through her hair as she got used to the light. "Sorry I passed out yesterday, it was so intense…" A laugh escaped from her lips and Evie couldn't help but smile at the view since her head was slightly tilted to the side so they could see each other. And Evie swore her eyes were a shade greener than the night before, which she loved, for some reason.

"Don't apologize… It's a good compliment, actually." Evie laughed too and rubbed her eyes turning her head around to see the views of LA in full disposition through the window, and even though she adored it, she just wanted to focus on Mal for a while. "Excuse me for a second," she said before standing up and closing the curtains, not even a second passed and she was already in the bed again.

"Guess we won't be leaving this bed soon…" Mal laughed and positioned herself on top of her, hair falling onto Evie's face once she did so she immediately ran a hand through it to keep it in place.

" Oh, do you want to?" Evie's arms were around her waist already as concern got into her features. Maybe she was rushing things by staying in bed, maybe they should eat something first.

"I did not say that… I'll let you know once I want to. Or maybe my stomach will." Mal laughed and leaned down a bit, lips brushing against Evie's as her eyes flickered for a second.

"Good to know," the brunette whispered and ran her hands along her back, feeling the girl over her tremble for a second. Her own hands shaking in anticipation as she ran her fingers up a nd down her spine, a smirk playing on Mal's lips. "I did not lie yesterday, by the way."

"About what?" The blonde tilted her side as her fingers played with one of Evie's blue locks, which caught her attention but her eyes never leaving hers. Maybe once or twice because their lips were practically touching every time they spoke and Mal couldn't help but look down when the brunette whisper above her mouth.

"About me loving your lips…" She raised her hand again to touch the heart line of her upper lip, Mal kissing the tip of her fingers once she did so. "They're so perfect."

"They fit well with yours."

"They do?"

" Yep. Want me to prove it?"

"Please." Evie chuckled and closed her eyes when Mal leaned in, her lips brushing once before she kissed her softly. Her hand cupping her cheek as their lips found each other over and over again. Slow and steady, no rhythm settled but their own, they did what they wanted to do and both of them agreed on taking it slow as her hands touched all the right places. They were still soft touches, and Evie was starting to worry this might get too far when it was just supposed to be a one-night stand, but she couldn't control her body and not did she intended to make it stop. Because Mal was so addicting. And there was no way to make it stop. They went too far already.

"Your thoughts are talking too loud." The blonde whispered against her mouth and kissed her lips once again before opening her eyes to see Evie's expression. "Is this too much?" She asked worryingly, maybe she was taking things too far.

"What? No! No. I'm a morning person, I tend to think a lot when I wake up, especially in the shower." Evie laughed and kissed her again to stop her from worrying. It didn't have anything to do with her. It was just her and her crazy thoughts, and fears, especially the fear of getting too attached. "I'm good, I promise."

"Okay, can we go back to kissing?"

Evie chuckled and shook her head in disbelief. "You're too much."

"Am I? I thought you loved my mouth. And not only on your mouth." There was the sassy attitude Evie liked.

"You're right. I love it somewhere else too." Evie caught her bottom lip between hers and pulled away slightly before kissing her fully on the mouth, leaving her thoughts aside for just a minute as she felt Mal's hands starting to wander down her body until she reached her thighs, a gentle squeeze and a sigh already left her mouth. "Already?" She asked, laughing.

"Shut up." The blonde laughed, really laughed, it felt sincere, different from the other times. And Evie just watched in amusement and did the most unexpected thing.

"Do me a favor. Ask me a question about myself."

"What? Now? Just… now?"

"Come on, just one question."

"Okay, fine. But then we bang."

"Absolutely, now, come on. I'll answer everything, you can ask me about my job or past girlfriends."

"What's your mom like?"

Except that that question took her completely by surprise. And she hesitated for a second, not knowing how she should reply to that. Talking about her mom wasn't something she was fond of. Especially since she moved away and crossed the country to live on the other coast. Far away from her family and far away from past memories. From her mom, above all.

"Icy, I guess? Not cruel and definitely not evil like her customers love to call her but… icy. Cold. Very cold."

"And your dad?"

"He died." Evie gulped and nodded, the memory still recent. "He took his own life two years ago… He left and my mom changed completely. I mean, she was a nightmare before but, " Evie shrugged and sighed, "I guess moving to the other side of the country to try and make a name for myself was a good idea, after all."

Mal nodded and touched the blue locks once again, not wanting to ask too many questions. It was her private life, after all. And they just met each other. "Sorry… I know it's probably the last thing you want to hear but—"

"I know. I appreciate it." Evie gave her a warm smile to calm her down and drew different patterns on her lower back. "It's easier now than before."

"Still, we don't have to talk about it. So, tell me. What's your favorite color?" Mal asked as she rested her chin on her chest, looking at her with a glimpse of happiness in her eyes. Evie just laughed in response. "What?"

"Isn't it obvious?" She looked around her room and then pointed at her blue highlights, pulling the blue sheet down Mal's body with her other hand. "As obvious as yours is purple."

"I don't know. Maybe your favorite one is pink and you're ashamed to admit it."

"Pink? Pft. No. It looks great on me but no. I'd rather say blue. All shades of blue are beautiful." She brought her hand to touch her purple tips. "And purple suits you… sick hair, by the way."

"I know, right? I have the best hair stylist ever."

"Where do you go?"

"Curl Up & Dye?"

"No way!" Evie opened her mouth and then laughed. "That's where I go! I love Dizzy, she's like a little sister to me and usually helps her mom with the clients. She made my highlights, actually. She's going to be amazing at it when she grows up, I just know it."

"Are you kidding? I know her since she was born. Her mom and mine are good friends for some reason, she did my purple tips." Mal chuckled and ran a hand through her hair. "So, you're the Evie she can't stop talking about."

"She does?"

"Unless you're not the fashion designer Evie Grimhilde."

The brunette laughed and shook her head. "I'm on my way there, I'm still not a designer but I try. It's… harder than I thought."

"I bet you're good."

"You don't know that…"

"I don't need to. Your fashion sense is amazing, I bet your clothes are too."

Evie flushed and tilted her head to the side. Her fingers playing with the sheet just above Mal's lower back as a single kiss was pressed against the blonde's lips after the compliment. "Thank you, it.. means a lot." Especially considering how everyone told her differently. Her mom used to say she needed a rich man and not worry about a single thing because she would get everything she wanted… Except for love. None could buy love. And a man was exactly what Evie didn't want. Probably why she was the biggest disappointment in her family, her dad was always there for her but since he died… everything was harder than expected.

"I feel you, by the way. My parents are divorced and I've never met my father." The blonde confessed and shrugged her shoulders, fingers playing with slender ones as she looked down when the words slipped out of her mouth. "And I feel you because my mother is very, very cold. I know deep inside she loves me, I mean I'm her daughter, she has to feel some kind of attachment right?" Her face scrunched up a bit and then a sigh left her lips. "She's a businesswoman, I'm an artist. We don't get along, so I moved out the second I graduated from high school and we see each other sometimes but… it's better if we don't."

Silence. But not uncomfortable. They understood each other, and both of them felt it in the pit of their stomachs. "We're a mess, huh?" Evie broke the silence and laughed in disbelief. She never knew she could find someone like Mal, who was probably just a one-night stand, and have so much in common already. Both of them being misunderstood by their parents.

"The perfect mess, tho."

"On our own way, yes."

They both smiled at each other and their eyes met for what it felt the first time because that look was different from the others they shared before. Evie could see the glimpse of gold in Mal's emerald eyes along with an unknown brightness she hadn't seen until now and the blonde saw green in brown orbs, dilated pupils and she could swear the brunette's eyes were smiling. She saw happiness in them and Evie knew what it meant because it felt like a new beginning. The same feeling she felt when she first got to LA, excitement and fear, impatient to start a new life in a new city. Maybe this time it meant that Evie couldn't wait to start her new life with someone. Someone she barely knew but needed to know, have dates with, maybe casual meetings at her favorite coffee shop or between classes in college. Or maybe at her house just how they were. And gosh, it was the scariest sensation she had ever felt. Did Mal feel it too? Or was it just her?

"Do you do this often?"

"Huh?" Evie asked in confusion, her thoughts stopping right there, focusing only on the blonde.

"This. Sleeping with random people you meet in a club."

"No… I did it twice before but… never here. I refused to let them in."

Double meaning. Even Mal could sense it.

"Why not?"

"Because both times happened when I was hurting. I was drunk and didn't want to think about it once I wake up the next morning in my own bed with an unknown person sleeping next to me. So all I did was leave before they wake up, without leaving a number or anything to contact me, really."

"Then why me?"

"I…" Evie sighed and looked aside for a minute. "I don't know. I really don't. I remember feeling your eyes in the distance and in that moment I told my friend I needed to get closer to you. I wasn't drunk, I promise. I made that choice."

"That's good to know," Mal laughed a bit, her body moving aside but kept her hands on Evie's. She was still there.

"I think it was the second I got my hands on you. When my nails dragged along your neck your reaction spoke to me in more ways than anybody did. I felt… a connection?" Evie frowned, not sure if this was the right time to talk about it.

"Do you regret it?"

"No." That was quick. "Not at all."

"I'm going to do something and I hope it doesn't freak you out."

"When you say that it already freaks me out."

"I know… but I hope this changes things." Mal whispered before closing the space between them and kissing her really softly on the lips. Eyes closed, and hands tangled together as their lips met. It was slow, nothing like the previous kisses they both shared. They could still feel a little bit of passion but it was also a moment of weakness, Evie felt like her heart was being exposed in just one kiss and Mal felt her entire idea of relationships shattering to let the brunette in. They were both scared, but gosh, for a few minutes it was more than worth it.  
Mal pulled away biting her bottom lip. There was no need to rush. And besides, slow-burn was always their thing. Until they get too desperate. Then it'd be a nightmare.

"How is this supposed to freak me out?" Evie whispered and brushed their noses together.

"Because it seems like the natural thing to do, at least for me." Mal smiled when their noses touched, tilting her head to the side, letting her hair cascade over her shoulder. "See? You did that without noticing."

"I know… I feel weird." The brunette laughed and put a hand on her stomach.

"Maybe you're hungry," Mal joked and sat down next to her, bringing the sheet upwards to cover her body.

"Maybe…" She said before standing up, bare naked, emerald eyes already on her. Evie looking down at herself once she noticed Mal not saying anything about it. "Oh, yeah, I'm pretty confident about… all this." She moved her hands over her body and then smirked.

"You should be."

"So… I'm going to take a shower first. I think I deserve it after last night's… events."

"Can I go with you?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

Evie winked and turned around to go to the bathroom, Mal quickly following behind.

* * *

Evie breathed hard. Her chest heaving and her lips parted as she tried to catch some air. Her heart beating fast when Mal brushed her nose between her breasts when she made her way up her body. Her arms moved slowly to the blonde's shoulders to keep the balance as she leaned against the wall. The brunette didn't even feel the coldness of the water drops on the wall because her eyes were shut as she focused on Mal's fingers caressing her skin as she left little kisses on her wet cheek, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"I think I just ran out of hot water." Evie laughed, head up as she tried to go back to reality, Mal's lips still leaving soft kisses on her skin, avoiding her lips. The blonde kissed her cheek, her jaw, her chin, and when Evie's head was at her level once again, she brushed them against hers, parting so slowly as her hand touched the girl's neck and her thumb caressed her cheek.

"You're overreacting."

"I'm not…" Warm water went down their bodies. "Well, maybe a bit. But we need to get out, we've been here for too long already." Evie laughed and saw the glimpse of a smile forming on Mal's lips before she left a peck on her lips, pulling away just a second later, but the brunette grabbed her by the waist and made sure the space between them completely disappeared as their lips reconnected once again, the blonde laughing against her mouth at the sudden pull. "Now we can."

"And I'm the one who's too much?" Mal laughed and got out of the shower, a towel already around her body when Evie was by her side.

"Yes."

"Do you have something I can borrow?"

"Of course, but I think my shirts would look bigger on you."

"I'm not that tiny, you know? You're just a few inches taller than me."

"Cute."

"Shut up."

Evie laughed and got to her room first because when Mal got in, Evie was in just her panties and looking at clothes in the wardrobe with a thinking face, then she grabbed a long turquoise shirt and handed it to Mal. "I think this is okay, I mean, it's not like we're getting out today, right?"

"I don't intend to until I have to go back to reality."

"I know… well, this is for you, then."

"Thank you…"

Evie smiled at her and turned around to grab a shirt and put it on. "I'm going to make something to eat, okay? Is there… any allergies I need to know about?"

"None at all, just the fact that I love strawberries."

"Good to know, I'll see what I can do." The brunette chuckled and left the room, leaving Mal alone while she got dressed. Her emerald eyes looked around, surprised that the few pictures she had in her room were with her friends, one of them looked so familiar until the blonde saw the beanie he was wearing and in a second she was out of the room.

"Evie, you know Jay? Oh wow, it smells delicious." She didn't know she was this hungry until the strong smell of pancakes filled her senses.

"He's my best friend. And I hope you don't mind eating pancakes at almost 1 pm. I think eating pancakes is perfect no matter the time." Evie laughed and cut some strawberries she bought two days ago. Her blueberries already in her plate and some on her mouth.

"I'm Carlos' best friend."

"What?" Evie stopped what she was doing and gather her head around the real reason why Jay chose that club to go and not their usual one. "Are you serious?"

"We were supposed to meet last night. But Carlos was late and he—"

"—He called Jay to update him and we moved to get something to drink and dance a bit before we were about to meet…" Evie's jaw almost hit the floor. Herself getting closer to Mal for some unknown reason. "You're /the/ blonde Jay has been trying to set me up with for the past three weeks?"

"And you're /the/ hot brunette that Carlos wanted me to meet so desperately." Mal had a stupid smile on her face, a laugh escaping her lips once she realized how crazy the entire situation was. "This is insane. Does Jay think that you need someone too?"

"He's been so annoying about it. I mean," she explained as she finished cooking, getting the strawberry syrup too and placing everything on the table, "I always tell him that being single is not bad and he gets it because before Carlos he was… kind of wild ," Evie laughed when Mal rolled her eyes, "I promise you he wants to be serious with him but before that, we even had bets going on."

"Don't you want to… change your mind? You know, open yourself to love."

"Once I find that person, of course. What about you? Any reason why Carlos has been insisting so much?" Evie bit her pancake with lots of blueberries on it.

"Probably." Mal laughed and moaned at the taste of her favorite fruit, smiling at the brunette who smirked at the sound. "This is delicious. Well, as I was saying. I'm always too focused on my art and trying to get them into an art gallery and start gaining money because of it so I've never needed someone to fill that place in my heart. Tho, the idea of having someone who inspires me is very appealing."

"A muse?"

"So to speak, yes. Maybe I'd find out what I'm missing in my art. Carlos says it's love. I say it's bullshit," the blonde laughed and continued eating, not realizing Evie's eyes on her as her words started to sink in. Would they be good to each other?

"Wait, Carlos and Jay met in college. Does that mean you study there too?"

"UCLA? Yes, I'm in my last year."

"... Me too."

"What? Evie, this is starting to freak me out. Why haven't I seen you before? I would've recognized you, for sure." Mal put some more syrup on her last pancake.

"I don't know. We're both 22?"

"Not yet. Three months away."

"I wish I've met you before…"

Mal gulped and looked up from her empty plate, listening to the brunette's words and how deep did they sound. A weird feeling started to appear at the pit of her stomach as a slight pressure on her chest slowly built. "Things would be different…"

"How?" Evie got closer to the girl and wiped away some syrup from her upper lip, drawing her heart line with her thumb. Gorgeous.

"Maybe we would have gone on a few dates already. I know that we… probably wouldn't sleep on the first date, but it would have been so worth it."

"Are you saying this wasn't?"

"No!" Mal quickly replied, her hands on Evie's waist without her even noticing. "I'm just saying that… maybe we would be different now."

"I don't like to think about maybe's or what if's. I just live my life as it is, taking my chances, making mistakes, making good choices, meeting amazing people and getting to know them better…" At this point, Evie was smiling like an idiot. "And for once, I think I don't regret sleeping with a stranger…"

"You don't?"

Her chest pressed slightly against hers as she spoke, cornering the blonde until she hit the kitchen counter, the girl smiling when Evie passed her nose through her parted lips, an intimate act that left her breathless but grinning like a girl who just got a thousand butterflies running free inside her stomach.

"I don't. Because you're not a stranger anymore, I'm afraid." The brunette's hands wandered over her back under the shirt, up and down, touching her delicate skin as if she was about to break any second. "You're Mal, born and raised in California, Art Student in UCLA, the best friend of my best friend's boyfriend and the girl I'm asking out on a date."

"... You're asking me out?"

"Does Friday night sounds good? I know a place. I promise I won't do the cliché thing and take you to a restaurant. Let me cook for you."

"That's also cliché. "

"And a bit more romantic, if I may say."

Both of them laughed and got used to the comfortable silence that sat between Evie's words. Both of them smiling and avoiding each other's eyes as their thoughts came together as one. And the girls knew what they want. For Evie, the answer was a sassy blonde, a fighter with a heart of gold and hypnotizing green eyes, talented and beautiful, so beautiful. And for Mal, it was a classy but gorgeous brunette, with true talent and an amazing future ahead of her but also with the most beautiful smile and caring, so caring.

"I guess I'll see you in a week, then."

"That's a yes?"

"Totally. I'll leave you my number."

"Let me…" Evie looked around and moved to the living room to grab her phone, almost tripping over their clothes, which caused her to laugh, "here."

"I should… go, by the way. I have some stuff to do for tomorrow's class and you kind of kept me busy this morning." Mal joked and saved her number on Evie's phone under her name and a purple heart next to it. "I'm going to get dressed, text me so I can save your number?" Then another phone sounded not so far away. "Or not."

"Oops."

Mal shook her head and laughed, leaving a kiss on Evie's cheek before she moved away to grab her clothes and change in the room but before that, she grabbed her phone and looked at the message the brunette sent her earlier.

Guess who? :)

The blonde shook her head and saved the number under Evie and a blue heart, just like she did on her phone, and for an unknown reason, at least one she still didn't want to accept, her smile grew wider and excitement filled her senses. It felt like a new adventure, one she wanted to explore. Maybe opening up wouldn't be that bad after all. Especially with someone like Evie. Mal didn't know her that well. She just knew something about her past, her reason to stay in LA and that she could make the most delicious pancakes she's ever tasted. But for some reason, she saw under her shield, she could break that defense mechanism… the one she also had. And maybe they could learn together, make this work.

And for once, be happy.

"Mal, you okay? My apartment is not that big for you to get lost that easily."

"I'm fine, don't worry." The blonde got out of the room wearing the same jeans she wore the night before and the shirt she borrowed from Evie. "I'll give this back to you next Friday?"

"Sounds like a good plan," the brunette smiled and ran a hand through her hair walking to the door with Mal right beside her. "So…"

"Text me the details—"

"—I'll text you the details."

Both of them laughed when they talked at the same time and Evie opened the door for her, leaning slightly against it and looked at the emerald details in those green eyes she got herself lost into.

"See you soon."

"It was nice meeting you."

"I can honestly say the same…"

Mal chuckled and got a little bit closer until her lips were on Evie's, kissing her softly for a few seconds before pulling away.  
And it felt so, so good.

Except when Mal pulled away and Evie had to bit her lip to stop herself from kissing her again. Everything good will come in time, she told herself. Patience was what she needed. And Evie wasn't known to have a lot of it.

"Text me when you're home?"

"Yes, mom."

" Shut up. See you Friday."

Evie laughed and pecked her lips for one last time before closing the door and leaning against it. A hand flat on her own stomach and an idiotic smile on her face. She had a good feeling about this, and Evie knew waiting until Friday to see the blonde once again was going to be a nightmare. She couldn't wait.

Evie just couldn't wait to learn about love.

Especially with Mal.

* * *

Four dates in two months.

That's all it took for both girls to discover all the information, all their ins and outs, every act seemed intimate and they were taking things slow. No labels. No one knew about them, they didn't want to talk about it too much in case something went wrong. But what could go wrong? Evie and Mal were happy this way, they were on their own bubble every time they saw each other. Their eyes brightened when their hands touched and with every kiss, the smiles on their faces grew wider. At first, every time their lips brushed together, they could feel the butterflies increasing, the promise of a new beginning filled with adventures and new feelings hung there. Then, when they really touched, when softness replaced passion, and a slow tempo was built… it held the promise of time. A future, together? The very idea made them shiver. It was frightening, scary but so excited. The most beautiful feeling slowly getting inside their not-so-lonely hearts.

The entire group hadn't met yet. Evie had met Carlos and Mal had met Jay, but that was all. The four of them didn't hang out together, not even once. And none of their friends saw them disappear the first night they met so they had no idea they were " together". And Evie was sure Jay didn't even remember Mal's face that night. But the time had come and they were finally going to hang out. Harry and Uma were going to be there as well as Carlos' friends.

[3:14pm] Mal: Do you think we should tell them?

[3:14pm] Evie: I was thinking about it.  
[3:14pm] Evie: Do you want to?

[3:15pm] Mal: I mean, they have to know smth already, right?  
[3:15pm] Mal: I know we don't have any labels on us and we're taking things slow but, do you think we should tell them we're seeing each other?

[3:17pm] Evie: I think we should act normal and see how they take it.

[3:18pm] Mal: So you think I should kiss you when I get there.  
[3:18pm] Mal: Which is all I want to do because I haven't seen you in a week.  
[3:19pm] Mal: I hate finals.

[3:20pm] Evie: Just kissing?

[3:20pm] Mal: I thought we said taking things slow…

[3:21pm] Evie: We should really consider that.  
[3:21pm] Evie: As much as I love teasing and the beauty of taking things slow, I can't wait anymore.  
[3:21pm] Evie: Anyway, yes. You should kiss me the second you see me. Or maybe play along and then kiss me.

[3:21pm] Mal: We're so talking about this later.  
[3:22pm] Mal: Okay, I'll keep that in mind. I'm going to get ready 'cause I just got home and I need a hot and relaxing bath before seeing you.

[3:22pm] Evie: Okay, I have to pick an outfit so I'll see you later ;)  
[3:22pm] Evie: Don't make us wait! Or we'll start without you!

[3:23pm] Mal: Don't act like you're the one who's going to be punctual!  
[3:23pm] Mal: See you soon ❤

Evie shook her head and tried her best to get ready in time… but to be honest, she showed up five minutes late. Luckily it was at Jay's house, and Carlos seemed to not be there at the moment, no sight of his friends, which meant no sign of Mal either. She still had time. Time to think how to react once she saw the blonde coming in.

"Sorry, Jay. You know me." The brunette laughed and helped him with the drinks, getting everything ready. "I always say I'm on time but show up late. Fashionably late, though."

"I'm used to your routine now, and Harry as well. Uma might throw one of your favorite dresses because of it, but everything's fine." Jay laughed and sat down on the couch, looking at her friend with that smug face and that smirk on his mouth. Evie knew what was coming. "So, the blonde I told you about is coming. Carlos invited her. And she's hot."

"J, we talked about this." Keep it to yourself, wait for Mal, just play along for a few more minutes. "Being single is awesome, I don't want to change that."

"You haven't even tried! I did, and look what happened!"

"And I'm happy for you but I really don't… need to start dating someone, especially someone I don't know." I deserve an Oscar after this, Evie thought to herself, trying not to laugh and to keep it cool. All those years of acting classes were finally worth it.

"Mal is coming?" Harry asked, serving the first drinks and throwing a bunch of chips into his mouth, sitting down next to Jay.

"You know her?" Evie's best friend asked, a frown on his face.

"They used to date," Uma answered this time and the brunette opened her eyes in disbelief. Mal used to date Harry? And she didn't tell her? Well, thinking it through, Mal didn't know about Harry being friends with Evie, maybe she mentioned something about being with a guy for almost six months before it reached a point when it got boring, but she never talked about being in a relationship with him, she said it was just…

"Date? Please, we just had sex, occasionally."

That. That it was just sex. Without a meaning. Evie thanked everyone in the planet she wasn't facing him or else he would have seen her clenched jaw and her hands gripping the edges of the table, tight. She was upset. She didn't have the right to but the mere thought of Mal with someone else, especially in that situation… it made her blood boil and her body to tense. She knew Harry, she knew him very well, and he liked to talk about his flings, especially in public and if he was going to joke about it for the rest of the day… things were going to get complicated.  
"Evie, you should give it a chance. Trust me, she's amaz-"

Bzzz…

"I'll go!" Evie practically screamed and went to the door, avoiding the conversation and cutting Harry's words as if her attitude was a sharp knife. It was clear that she didn't want to talk about it, her friends could sense it. "Carlos, hi!" The brunette smiled and hugged him. She adored the boy, he was cute and so good to Jay. She was so glad to have someone like him in her best friend's life, especially because it gave her a reason to mess with him and his sappy side. "It' so good to see you."

"Long time no see, Evie! It's so great to see you too" Evie kissed him on the cheek and moved to the side to let everyone in, the brunette avoiding eye contact with the three people coming in. Her heart beating so hard when she caught a glimpse of blonde hair, who was about to say something before Carlos interrupted her. "You look great, by the way."

"Thank you!" Evie smiled widely, she loved when people complimented her, especially if she was wearing something custom-made. It was just a casual blue crop top, one that showed her abs if she moved to much, and skinny jeans, finishing the look with her killer heels. She just couldn't go out without a good pair of heels.

"It took her two hours to decide, of course she looks good." Jay interrupted them and Evie punched his arm, even though she knew she couldn't hurt him, he was too strong.

"Shut up, idiot. Looks are important. Especially to cause a great impression."

"Where's Dude?"

"He's with Ben, I didn't want to bring him in in case there were too many people and it seems that I was right." Carlos laughed and went straight to Jay's arms, making everyone in the room smiled at the action.

Evie cleared up her throat to get everybody's attention and introduced herself to Carlos' friends, leaving the two lovebirds to have a moment together. "I'm Evie, it's nice to meet you." She hugged everyone in the room she didn't know, her enthusiastic attitude once again showing. Jane was the first one and she seemed really shy, at least for now, maybe she wasn't used to meeting new people, she was cute. And then a guy named Gil, who had her same enthusiastic attitude, he was just excited to be there, he looked happy and Evie thought they could all get along without any difficulty.

Except when she turned around.

To "meet" Mal.  
Again.

And she was too busy recognizing Harry.

A strike of… jealousy ran through every inch of Evie's insides. That annoying feeling establishing inside her chest as she bit the side of her cheek, hard but not enough to cause it to bleed. Evie wasn't a jealous person, she never had a reason to be jealous. And for sure, she didn't have one now. They were nothing, they were just… having fun, right? Evie, who are you trying to fool? Stop lying to yourself, you're already too into her to even let her go. That was her mind and her heart speaking, at the same time. And they usually didn't get along, they've never gotten along well. They always thought differently. But when it came to Mal, it got hard because she was just... there, making her go crazy.

And Gosh, the second she turned around and smiled at her, Evie felt the annoying sensation she had before leaving her body and being replaced by a warm feeling that was so familiar since she got used to it for the past two months. But she never got used to the increasing pace. It was just so quick and fast. So unexpected but at the same time something she knew would come.  
The brunette smiled back and waved her hand when Mal approached her. "I'm Evie," she said and extended her hand, "it's so nice to meet you." She had to bit down her lower lip to stop smiling so widely. Mal took her hand and nodded, shaking her hand and letting the touch lingered for a while.

"You're going to hug everyone except me?" She asked, teasing, as always. "I'm Mal, by the way. Nice to meet you too." How she wanted to kiss the smirk away from her lips.

"Harry was just telling us how well do you guys know each other," Evie said, a look on her face that said it all. She noticed Mal looking down for a second. "Right, mate?"

"Not exactly."

"You told them?" Mal asked, her eyebrow slightly raised and Evie moved a bit away to grab her drink and take a sip.

"I just said I knew you and Uma talked, like always." Harry shrugged and looked relaxed, calmed, mainly because he didn't see the look on Evie's face, but Mal definitely did. Who already forgot about Harry and was looking at her.

"I think I need a drink, would someone show me where can I get it?" Mal asked. Eyes still fixated on Evie.

"Evie can!" Jay replied and if only looks could kill… Evie would be left without a best friend and she wouldn't regret it.

"Perfect... Let's go." Evie walked into the kitchen and leaned against the kitchen counter, her drink left on top it as she got a glass and moved away to let Mal serve herself.

"Drinks are on the fridge and I think the vodka is out if you wa—" A sigh left her lips when Mal turned her around but she recovered quickly, at least before the blonde got closer and closer until their chests were pressed together. Dangerous.

"Harry was the guy I talked to you about."

"I know."

She couldn't be mad anymore. Her eyes flickered from Mal's green eyes to plump lips in just a second and Evie closed her eyes, her hands turning into fists on the edge of the kitchen counter, controlling herself.

"I knew the moment he said you weren't romantically involved." Her jaw tensed once again and her lips formed a thin line, her mind filled with images she didn't want to imagine. "It's not of my business. I shouldn't give a damn about who you fucked or continue doing so."

Mal pretended to not be hurt by that last sentence. "You're jealous," because of that.

"What? Nonsense."

"You are jealous. Look at you, clenching your jaw, not smiling and not putting your arms around me to pull me closer which is what my Evie would do after a week of not seeing each other." The blonde pointed at her and the taller girl looked away, she knew she was right. Mal put a finger on her chin and slowly made Evie looked at her again. "Why are you jealous?"

Evie huffed. "I am not—"

"—Yes, you are."

"Okay, maybe I am. Because it caught me by surprise and you know him, he was being too cocky about it and I just— ugh. I can't get the visual out of my head."

"Don't think about that, it wasn't even that good." Okay, maybe that got Evie to laugh. "Come on, I missed you."

"I missed you too…" Evie whispered as she finally put her hands on Mal's neck, leaning in to press their foreheads together.

"Then we should talk about this…"

"Don't act like I'm the only one who gets jealous, I saw your face when Doug approached me the other day at the restaurant."

"It's not the same. That guy's in love with you."

"Yeah, and you'd been sleeping with my friend for months. I think I have more reasons than you to be jealous." The brunette laughed and Mal ended up doing the same. "This is ridiculous, we both know what's happening."

"I know… but oblivion sometimes is better…"

"For you or for them?"

Mal looked at her in the eyes and held her by the waist.

"For me."

"I'm not going to run away." Evie knew the real reason why Mal had left her heart locked in a cage. The lack of love in her life made her a lonely soul walking down the path of life. And she understood her. When her father died, she hid in her room for weeks and when she finally gathered the strength to go out she was still hiding under a mechanism, one that no one could decipher. One that could be shut down just by one person, the one who deserved every ounce of love Evie had to give. And only the brunette knew it had already been decoded. The blonde shut the system down, opened the cage and let her heart fly, just like a bird, who once was afraid to love but not anymore because someone she knew very well told her it was time to live a little and to give into love.

"And I'm not going anywhere." Mal even knew about it.

"Then what do we do?"

"We do it properly."

"Then we talk once we're completely alone and without gossip friends waiting outside to see if we really connected."

"Exactly. But do me a favor."

"Anything."

"Kiss me. It's been a week and I missed you so m—" Mal sighed against Evie's mouth when she finally kissed her. Softly, tentatively, slowly building their steps towards happiness in just one kiss. Building a house inside their hearts and leaving the door open. Throwing the key away. Letting themselves in. Letting love in. One that was louder than their doubts in their heads, louder than fear, louder than oblivion… They were both so in love and they still didn't know. Because it felt like magic, and when they thought of magic, they thought of unreal things, of the lack of existence. And if only they knew that this feeling they had inside, something they both felt but were too coward to admit it… if only they knew the most powerful magic of all was...

Love.

"We're… Definitely talking later." Evie whispered after breaking the kiss, leaving a kiss on the tip of her nose. "Let's make you that drink, shall we?"

* * *

"Evie, truth or dare?"

The brunette turned around and stopped talking to Mal right when Jay asked that question, a raised eyebrow as she looked at him with a frown on her face. "What are we? Fifteen?"

"What? We're drunk and it's just an excuse to have fun."

"No, you're drunk and it's your excuse to do what you have in mind, which I already know."

"How?"

"We're best friends. So I'm picking truth."

"Boring." Jay rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, leaning against Carlos' side who laughed at the childish attitude. Evie smiled victoriously until she saw Harry raising his hand as if he was in class and needed to ask for permission, the brunette rolled his eyes once again.

"I have a good question."

"You always do, curious mind."

"You know me." Harry pointed at her and took a sip of his drink before asking, "what's the best sex you've ever had? Why and with whom?"

"You asked three questions, Harry."

"Related to the same so it counts as one."

Evie rolled her eyes and decided to play along, no names were needed, he didn't ask specifically for that. But maybe a physical description would be enough. "Two months and a half ago with the girl you saw me leaving the club with," when Harry frowned she knew he barely remembered her face or else he would've recognized Mal in a second, "and why? Well, I think I finally found someone who enjoys taking things slow as much as I do so I really enjoyed the rest of the night." She could sense Mal's eyes on her as she tried to hide the smirk on her lips by drinking what was left on her glass.

"You didn't say with whom."

"I did. I told you I left with the girl I ran into while dancing, you know, blonde long hair, I think she had her tips dyed but I can't really remember... green eyes, plump lips, dimples, an amazing body…" Evie said while looking at him, a smirk on her face the entire time.

"Dyed tips? Wow, like Mal!" Carlos commented and Evie couldn't help but laugh.

"What a coincidence, right? Maybe she's your cousin or something."

"Maybe… who knows," Mal smiled and then chuckled. Leaving her empty glass near the table as she took the chance to sit closer to Evie, her hand on her leg without a warning and without the others noticing.

"Mal, your turn. Truth or dare?"

"Both", she quickly replied and shrugged at the gasp Carlos made. She wasn't afraid, besides, even Evie knew what the dare would be.

" Wow, okay, while someone thinks of the dare, I'm leaving it to Jay and Carlos, my dear Mal…" Harry started talking, a smirk on his face the entire time and annoying Evie in the process. "Would you rather sleep with someone you knew and already had sex with, let's say for example… me," Evie almost threw up in her mouth when she saw the look on his face and the tone he was using, "or sleep with someone you haven't had sex with before and don't know anything about them at all, I don't know, like Evie?" the brunette had to bite down her tongue to not laugh at the question and looked at Mal to see what was her reaction.

"Wait, you'll have to rephrase that again, you said with someone I haven't had sex with."

And her reaction was priceless.

"Yes, like Evie."

At this point, the brunette was smiling and looking at her friend innocently. "Exactly, you have to say another person or else I can't answer." Mal replied once again, making it more clear, and Carlos jumped when he realized what the situation was but Mal continued speaking, "But answering your question knowing the fact that I slept with both of you... Evie, I would sleep with Evie again."

"What the fuck?" Harry and Jay said at the same time as Carlos kept pointing at them with his index finger, Evie already laughing.

"You're the girl from the club Mal left with!"

"What? No! Why do you say that?" The irony in Mal's voice was evident at this point. "What's my dare, by the way?"

"Kiss her so I know it's true." Carlos quickly said, and Jay nodded. Both girls knew that was going to be the dare in the first place but now it was even funnier.

"Wait, how are we going to know if it is true?" Harry interrupted them just when Evie traced Mal's cheekbone with her fingers so delicately and was just a few inches away from her lips when her thumb traced her bottom lip.

"Because Mal has been sneaking out of our apartment so many days after that wild night she had months ago. She acts like she has a crush on someone and is all happy and giddy. And we're talking about Mal here, that attitude is weird. She doesn't act like that." Carlos explained and moved his hands dramatically as he spoke, clearly seeing what was happening between the two of them after hours of being together.

"Now that you say that… When Evie and I meet she smiles more than usual," Jay explained, looking at his best friend, "she acts like she's in love or something like that, but I thought it was just me who saw things because of my relationship status, not hers!"

"So, if they kiss, we'll know. That's it. Girls, proceed." Carlos sat once again and clasped his hands together in front of his mouth, watching the girls with curious eyes.

"You know when we're being watched it's kind of… creepy." Evie laughed and looked at Mal again, "hi…", she whispered getting closer.

"Hey there…" Mal whispered too and cupped her cheeks, brushing their lips together before closing her eyes and finally leaning in to press her lips against hers. Kissing Evie just like she wanted to do the entire time they were sitting next to each other. She breathed in the kiss before deepening it, keeping it slow as her hands lowered and rested on her neck. She pulled away after a few more seconds, leaving soft kisses on Evie's lips to recover from the sudden burst of emotions. An act that answered everyone's questions, even theirs. But Evie's smile told her everything and she smiled back before resting her forehead against her shoulder, hiding for a few seconds.

"No offense guys, but it was obvious," Uma spoke when she came back with a piece of pizza in hand.

"Yes, I mean. I thought they had something going on since Evie introduced herself but I was confused," Jane spoke too and Uma nodded at the young girl's words as if it was that obvious. "You boys are so oblivious, sometimes."

"You're talking about two of them who denied their feelings for years before getting together," Evie said and ran her fingers through the blonde's hair before she realized she got all her red lipstick on Mal's lips. "Maybe you should fix your makeup, it's a mix between dark and passion red."

"Yours as well," the other laughed and fixed Evie's lips with her thumb, well, at least tried to. "You look way better now."

"Wait," Evie laughed and fixed her bottom lip, some lipstick smudged on top of it. "There it is."

"Look at them!" Carlos pointed at them with both arms extended, "they act like a couple already."

"We're not dating. We're just knowing each other, been on a few dates, taking things slow."

"You? Taking things slow?" Jay laughed and Evie threw him a cushion, hitting him in the head, he was a little bit drunk to avoid it. "Hey! I'm not used to it! Leave me be!"

"Shut up! I told you I would once I find the right person, and Mal seems like it." She flustered a bit once she realized what she just said and if it wasn't for the blonde kissing her lips once again after the words had left her mouth she would've been worried things got messed up because of her talking too much and without thinking.

"And before you talk Carlos, my answer is the same as hers." She said when they pulled away. "And if you don't mind, we don't want to feel… rushed about this. That's why we didn't tell you about it until now, because if for you it's weird to know we would have met anyway, imagine when we knew."

"Get it. Drop the subject. Changing the topic, Harry how does it feel to know that she still chose Evie?"

"Shut up," Harry punched Carlos' arm, making everyone in the room laugh.

* * *

"Thank you for driving me home… I should have known Carlos would've stayed at Jay's," Mal laughed and walked to the door once she found the keys inside her purse, her fingers playing with the blue heart keychain Evie gave her not too long ago.

"Don't worry, I would do it again without a doubt." The brunette smiled and hid her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, making Mal weak at the knees just by the casual pose.

"Do you want to come in? I mean… we need to talk and you've never been here because Carlos is always around."

"Of course, I can't wait to see if you also have purple everywhere." Evie teased and Mal smacked her arm with still that same smile on her face before opening the door and let her in first.

"Welcome to our hideout."

"It has your touch. It feels warm, like home."

"Because Carlos isn't around to make a mess out of it." Mal chuckled and left everything in her room before sneaking out to hug the girl from behind, humming against her neck in contentedness, comfortable and happy just at holding her like that. "We're alone…"

"Finally," Evie whispered and turned around, Mal's hands keeping her close by putting them on her back, caressing her soft skin as her eyes locked onto the brunette's, a smile on her face the entire time. "By the way, great way to tell them."

"I know, right? I thought it was the perfect time," Mal laughed and drew different patterns on her back, "besides I know how annoying Harry can get."

"Tell me about it, you should have seen him talking about it," Evie rolled her eyes and huffed, her jaw clenching one more time just remembering what he could have said if it wasn't for Carlos knocking on the door just in time. Mal's hands now on her face, cupping her cheeks and the brunette suddenly felt more relaxed, a smile appearing on her lips as her little dimples made an appearance as well on her beautiful face.

"And you should remember that I'm seeing you and only you, Evie," Mal whispered, getting on her tiptoes to brush their lips together. A soft smile on her mouth. "We met at the club, we danced, we talked, we ended up in your bed and God knows how amazing it was that I passed out, remember?"

Evie laughed and ran her fingers up and down her arm, shaking her head before leaving a single kiss on her lips. "I know, and then a few dates and I thought I…" Evie, shut up. "And I thought I had the time of my life." Fixed it.

"Me too. And then I thought of kissing you all night." Mal left a single kiss on her lips. "Of touching you all night." Then she kissed her chin. "Of just being with you all night." She whispered near her ear as her hands touched the brunette's abs. "Even if being slow means this is… quite serious."

"Trust me. It is, I don't usually do this but then…" Evie sighed and touched her cheek, "but then you felt like home and I—" Evie shut up immediately when Mal kissed her on the lips, holding her close with both hands on her cheeks, pulling her in just by parting her lips, a shy tongue touching her bottom lip, asking for her permission first. And Evie didn't even try to resist, she immediately kissed her back, passionately, her hands already tangle in Mal's hair.  
They were just so lost in each other's touch. For both of them, a single touch felt like a thousand hands roaming over their bodies, over their souls, touching all the right places but in need of wanting more, of feeling more.

"E…" Mal whispered a few inches away from her mouth, Evie could even feel her lips moving on top of hers.

"Yes?"

"Be my girlfriend?"

…

Silence.

The only sound they could hear was the loud beating of their hearts against their chests. Thump thump. Maybe Evie's head was filled with a thousand thoughts, none of them good. Thump thump. Maybe there were also positive ones. Thump thump. Maybe just one positive thought. Thump thump. Maybe 'be happy' meant more than 'I'm afraid'.

Thump, thump.

"Yes."

Thump thump.

Maybe she chose happiness. Maybe she was falling in love. Maybe she already was in love with Mal. Maybe Evie forgot her fears and what came with the fact of falling for someone new, someone completely different, someone who felt like home. And maybe… just maybe, Evie wanted to feel loved and make Mal feel loved.

But there was one thing she was sure about, just one simple thing.

"Be happy, baby girl. You deserve to be happy no matter what."

...

I am, Papa.

I am happy.


	3. let our hearts beat as one together

"Are you nervous?" Mal whispered running her hands up and down Evie's arms, whose eyes were fixated on the stage where the last students were receiving their diplomas. Both of the girls were backstage since the brunette, who already was a Valedictorian, would end the ceremony with a meaningful speech. The blonde laughed when her girlfriend didn't even reply or move a muscle. "Yes, you're nervous. Okay. Evie, look at me." She held her face to make her stop from looking at the central stage and instead focusing on her. "You're going to be amazing. You've been preparing this for weeks, now. You got this."

"What if they don't like it?"

"Oh, please, they will. You're Evie Grimhilde. Valedictorian. Future fashion designer. And my amazing girlfriend." Mal smiled and caressed her cheeks, "not that they care about that last part but I do. And I'm so proud of you." She put her graduation cap back in place, making sure her hair looked perfect.

"And I am proud of you as well… my favorite artist." Evie smiled and pecked her lips, her hands holding hers for a second when her name was being mentioned. "See you in a few minutes."

"Break a leg." Mal let her go and ran back to her friends as fast as she could. She just couldn't miss her girlfriend's speech.

 _I love you._ The brunette thought to herself without a second thought before stepping onto the stage. A smile on her face when her friends started to scream and cheer her on. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world because she had a family, and sometimes family doesn't share the same blood, sometimes you choose them. And this time, Evie was proud of her decisions and especially, she was proud of them.

"Thank you, _Fairy Godmother."_ Everyone laughed at the nickname the students used for their favorite teacher, even the woman did before nodding towards her direction. "Good morning family, friends, faculty and fellow graduates. Well… we did it." Everyone screamed and raised their hands at her words. The brunette smiled and looked at her friends when a sigh left her lips. "This is a major step in our lives, one that should be recognized by everyone. This act means years of commitment coming to an end but it also shows how proud we are to stand here today, in front of our loved ones, accomplishing our journey in UCLA." Evie smiled and looked down for a second, her heart going where her Dad was, who would be there, standing proud. And she'd be lying if she said it didn't hurt. Her Mom wasn't there, none of her family members were, but the second she raised her head once again her eyes landed on emerald green and she instantly smiled. _Don't forget that sometimes you choose your family, Evie. And they're all here.  
_ "But along the years I've learned that life is a journey, a never-ending journey where you continue growing, you continue improving, you continue showing that you're here to make a change, to make the world a better place. To be surrounded by the ones you love. By your family, by your friends, by your soulmate." The brunette smiled at Mal when she laid her eyes on her. "Just being surrounded by the ones who show you their support, but above everything, I just mentioned: Be true to yourself. Believe in yourself. It's _your_ life. It's _your_ journey. And at the end of the day, you're you, and that's enough..." The girl smiled when a round of applause started by her friends and everyone else joined. "We are enough. We must love ourselves, love our differences, love our imperfections. We must believe with our whole heart that no matter who we are, where we come from, or who we love, we are enough. We are beautiful and we should never let anyone ever define us by any reflection in a mirror, but by the love in our hearts and the intelligence in our minds. Education is our superpower. Books and pens are our greatest weapons; and we, we are our own knights in shining armor."

"Yes!" She heard her girlfriend screaming in the distance and she couldn't help but chuckle before continuing with her speech.

"Today we write our own happily ever after- where we live our lives, bravely; we educate ourselves, endlessly; dream, fearlessly; and fight for our dreams, relentlessly. You are my heroes, class of 2013. You are my inspiration. Because we are smart, we are talented, we are beautiful… and now, now it's our time to take the next steps in the journey that is our lives and continue building our future because, guys, we are unstoppable." She ended up with a smile and grabbed her graduation hat, "Congratulations to all of us, we made it!" she said before throwing the hat in the air along with everyone else in the place, a smile on her face because she made it, all of them did. And she couldn't be prouder.  
Especially when she went down the stage and all of her friends were running towards her direction, but she couldn't help but run into the blonde's arms who was holding her hat with her hand right when Evie crashed her lips against hers and kissed her for a few seconds only to be pulled apart by their friends whistling. "You were amazing and if there was anyone out there who didn't know what to do after this, you convinced them to continue fighting. You are an inspiration, Evie. You fought hard to be where you are right now."

"We all did," she said looking at her friends. "I know our families are not here, today. We've had a rough life but now it gets better," she intertwined her fingers with Mal's. "I just know it's going to get better. It already is."

"I don't usually start these things… but today is worth it, come here you weirdos." Jay opened his arms and Evie instantly was in his strong arms, along with everyone else. Gosh, she was just so lucky to have every single one of them.

"Oh, and by the way! I have amazing news, and I hope you don't have plans for the next month or so."

"Why?" Harry asked, his arm around Uma's shoulders who pushed him away.

"We're going to Miami. I got an apartment to stay for a month and I thought it was the perfect time for you to know my hometown. Of course, without running into my mother or my… stepsister, she's so annoying." Evie laughed and looked at Mal to know what was going on in her head since she had a frown on her face. "What?"

"I only agree to go if you talk in Spanish there."

"Really?" Evie arched an eyebrow and sighed, rolling her eyes. She had to see it coming. " _Vale."_ Mal jumped happily because she knew that meant she agreed. "You guys are in?"

Everyone nodded immediately and Evie couldn't help but smile, happy to know that she had people who supported her, who loved her for who she was and not for who her Mother wanted her to be. She changed. She was a completely different person. She learned to love, she learned to live, she learned everything by herself. The brunette didn't need to listen to the ones that didn't know her. She just trusted her friends, especially Mal, who turned out to be the best thing that has ever happened to her.

"We're leaving tomorrow, then. For now, let's go and get some drinks."

"Aye, let's go get that rum!" Harry joked and Uma slapped his arm.

"Harry, stop talking like a pirate. Your obsession with Captain Hook is too much at this point." She added and everyone laughed, even Harry, who put his arms around her and tried to reach for her face to kiss her on the cheek while Uma kept pushing him away, playfully.

"Evie, wait." Mal grabbed her hand and the brunette looked at her friends to continue walking, they were going to be there in a minute, anyway.

"What's wrong?" She asked worried grabbing the other girl's hands.

"He's here too, E." Evie froze. "I know in the middle of your speech you were… thinking of your Dad. Your eyes spoke for yourself and you have to know he's here with you, okay?" Mal put a hand where her heart was and smiled, "And so _so_ proud of you."

The brunette smiled, a bit teary-eyed after hearing her words. "You're going to make me cry," Evie laughed and grabbed her hands, pulling the blonde closer to her, leaning in to rest her forehead against hers. She heard the girl chuckled and cupping her cheeks, caressing her soft skin.

"Don't… I think in all these months we've been together, which in just a few days makes six, by the way, I haven't seen you cry and I really don't want to unless it's from joy." Mal left a single kiss on her lips before hugging the girl.

"I'm so lucky to have you."

"I'm the lucky one, Evie."

* * *

It was almost midnight when her feet touched the sand, when her legs started to move towards their spot and when Evie finally sat down, she let her eyes fall on her friends, on a tiny silhouette to be specific. She watched how the moon reflected on every movement the waves made, gentle and calmed motions, impacting against the girl's pale skin as she continued laughing and trying to drown the taller guy. The brunette chuckled when the one that ended under the ocean was the blonde instead.  
Mal.  
The girl that stepped right into her heart without asking for permission first.

"Unbelievable," Evie muttered under her breath and laughed when Mal got out of the water with her messy hair all over her face, Jay annoying the girl by grabbing her hands and not letting her fix it. Until Mal punched his chest and she was in and out of the water in a second, looking amazing as always. The brunette waved at her when Mal looked around to see where she was, stopping in the ocean with the water just a bit above her waist. Evie shrugged her shoulders when the blonde moved her hands as if he was asking what was she doing out of the water just yet. And not even Evie knew the answer. She just wanted to be alone for a second, processing her thoughts, thinking about how much her life has changed over the past few months, how she managed to have a wonderful group of friends and an amazing girlfriend, who also considered her a shoulder to lean on when she was feeling down or just needed someone to talk to. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to Jay about it, but sometimes a girl understood her better. And Mal gave the greatest advice.

"What are you doing here all by yourself, huh?" She heard a voice from the distance, a smile on her lips the instant she saw the blonde walking towards her.

"Just watching you get drowned by Jay and the others," Evie laughed and opened her legs when Mal tapped them to sit between them. The brunette's arms instantly around the other girl, hugging her from behind. "You're cold."

"You're _hot."_

"Shut up." Evie chuckled once again and left a kiss on her shoulder before hiding her face in the crook of her neck, closing her eyes when she breathed in her essence.

"I think coming to Miami was a great idea," Mal whispered, caressing Evie's arms with both hands, embracing her as she brought her knees to her chest, looking tinier than she already was.

"You're just saying that because you enjoy seeing me almost naked 24/7, and speaking in Spanish from time to time."

"Not for that, idiot. It's our first holidays together." Evie smiled against her skin and left another kiss, on her neck this time, making the girl shiver under her touch. "Well, maybe for that too."

"You're such an idiot." The brunette laughed and brushed her nose against her cheek before speaking once again, "but I think it was the perfect idea as well, not only because I get to see you almost naked every single day but," Evie didn't finish talking before Mal pinched her arm, a laugh escaping from her lips. "I mean it, it's a great beginning."

"It is… and I'm so glad it's with you."

"Me too, M. Me too." She whispered and cupped her cheek looking into her eyes, leaning in so slightly to kiss her softly on the lips. The smile on her face increasing when Mal reached for her once again after pulling away from the first kiss, a chuckle leaving her mouth when the blonde couldn't stop pecking her lips. "Mal!"

"What? Can't I kiss my girlfriend without a stop?" The girl laughed as well and peppered her face with kisses, her hands holding the brunette.

"I love you."

It was just a faint whisper, but enough to catch the blonde's attention. The one who tensed under her touch for a second as the words sank in, her mind processing what was going on and her vocal chords not working. God, did she wanted to say it back, did she wanted to show her that the feeling was mutual but for some reason it wasn't working and instead of love and happiness all Mal was feeling was fear; fear of Evie taking this the wrong way and deciding to call things off. And so, she just reacted like she knew how, her body speaking for her as she brushed her nose against the others before kissing her softly. Her lips founding hers over and over again as her hands cupped her face, keeping the brunette close, showing her in just one kiss that what she was feeling was real and that maybe Mal felt it too but was too scared to say it out loud. The issues inside of her getting out, issues that Evie knew existed and that they would have to talk it out sooner or later. It was just a matter of time. But for now, all she did was kiss Evie. Kissing her slowly, tentatively, as if it was the first time their lips touch as if there was no tomorrow and all the blonde wanted to do was to die in Evie's mouth.  
For some reason, staying close to her once she needed air. For some reason, smiling widely that even her cheeks hurt from doing so. For some reason, not being scared. But for some reason, Evie asking herself why she hadn't said it back. For some reason… Evie thinking she made a mistake.  
And then fear was all she felt while Mal felt like she was trapped in a cage with no way out. A cage made of words that she just couldn't say out loud. Words of " _I love you too, how could I not?" "You're the best thing that's ever been mine," "Your heart is way too pure to love one like mine," "I'm sorry I cannot say it back," "We're just two kids in love and I am not afraid to say it."_ Contradictions. Lots of them invading the blonde's mind as her body continued acting the opposite of it while she was driving Evie crazy, who just held her like her life depended on it.

Not saying a word.  
There was no reason to do so.

For now.

* * *

Emerald eyes observed every movement the taller girl made ever since they said goodnight to their friends and got into the room they both shared. The brunette not speaking since they did so. Driving the blonde crazy because she knew exactly why this change of attitude. The pressure in her chest increasing just at the thought of talking about it, of taking things more serious than it could be, of destroying the good they built together, of stopping her happiness.

"Evie…" She whispered, her hand reaching for the brunette, touching her back slightly right when she took a step forward, avoiding her touch.

"You don't have to say it back just because I say so." Mal didn't even know how she heard that, because it sounded soft and weak, something the blonde wasn't used to hear in the brunette's voice. Somehow making her insides hurting from causing her pain. "I get it."

"I just—"

"—You just don't feel the same way. I get it. I fall in love too quickly and even when I thought that it was _finally_ reciprocated, that you felt the same way I did and that we could be happy for once in a lifetime, it seems like—"

"I just don't know why a heart like yours loves a heart like mine…"

The brunette stopped her rambling when she heard Mal's words, seeing her girlfriend smaller after saying her thoughts out loud, her petite arms around herself as her eyes focused merely on the ground. She wasn't able to look anywhere else, not even at Evie as she spoke, and that made the brunette got closer to her, her heart breaking in million pieces once she understood why the words never left her mouth, why Mal was so hard to talk to when it came to feelings. She knew she had issues. She knew it was because of her past and what her mother taught her, what she had seen along the years didn't help either and that, somehow, it made the blonde built something hard as stone inside of her, not letting her feel completely. Something that Evie thought she had broken already but it seemed like she didn't. She should've seen it coming. But how? Everything was going so perfect until _the_ three words left her mouth.

"You want to know _why_ I love you, Mal?"

"Evie, no. I—I don't ask for you to explain it to me, I just don't deserve you and—"

"Because I'm a fool for you, Mal. I'm a fool that fell in love with someone who suddenly burst into my life one crazy night and made it the best night of my life because even if I'm way too good at goodbyes you made it hard for me to say so the morning after. I'm a fool who knows that if I got you I don't need anything else, not at all. Even if it breaks me, I will make my way to you. To us. I'm a fool that lets you know that you have my love, that we're just two kids with curious hearts not letting ourselves break for the first time in forever. A fool who knows not to think about the future. A fool that can't fall in love without you and especially, a fool that will meet you in the space between because you're already a part of me, Mal. So, don't ever think you don't deserve me, you do. We deserve each other."

Mal gulped, a single tear streaming down her face right when she closed her eyes, a tear that was followed by another right when Evie took her in and pressed their foreheads together. "Remember what you told me on graduation day? That you didn't want to see me cry if it wasn't of happiness?" Mal nodded, her eyes still closed. "Well, now I'm saying it to you. Don't cry because you think you don't deserve me. Cry because I'm saying that I love you, Mal. _Te quiero."_

A sob escaped the blonde's lips right when she stood on her tiptoes to kiss her fully on the lips, knowing the meaning hidden behind those words and _especially,_ behind that kiss. Her hands right above Evie's, the ones that were still holding her face as they kissed, as they shared a special moment, one that they will always remember, one that felt like the first time.  
Even when Mal kept wondering why Evie loved _her_ above anyone else.

"Your thoughts are talking too loud…" The brunette whispered mere inches away from kissing her once again. A tiny smile flitting across the blonde's lips when she heard her words, a slight sensation of déja-vu going inside of her, taking her back to the first time Mal said those words, right when she woke up next to the brunette for the first time. She was thinking too much about the future and Mal just wanted to focus on the present. And by the looks of it, Evie was doing the same to her, remembering the exact same moment as well.

"

I tend to think a lot too, usually at night." The blonde whispered with a smirk on her face, remembering the moment between the two of them perfectly.

"Hey, that's me, not you," Evie chuckled and pecked her lips once again, a soft smile on her face as her fingers carefully touched her cheeks, Mal's hands on her elbows, returning the kiss before resting her forehead against hers. "And I know you feel the same… you're just too scared."

The blonde took a deep breath, not wanting to admit it. The words just didn't want to leave her mouth, and _gosh_ did she want to say it, did she wanted to make Evie feel loved, but she couldn't and instead, she decided to do something else. Maybe she was better at showing her how she really felt instead of just… saying it. Actions were better than words anyway, right?  
Mal stood on her tiptoes for a second, brushing her lips against the other girl's. Opening her eyes to look into Evie's. To stare in hazel and get lost in them. She was sure that her own were sparkling, as they always were when the brunette was around her, her pupils slightly dilated as she breathed once again. "Let me… Let me show you, okay?" It was just a whisper above her lips, one that filled Evie's senses in an instant, who just nodded and waited for Mal to do the next move. And it just took a few seconds to have her lips pressed lightly against hers as her hands moved to her lower back, pulling her in, getting closer.

It wasn't until Mal's hands raised the girl's shirt up that Evie reacted with her own hands, not too much, not wanting to control the situation, just helping the blonde undress her. And so she took her own shirt, throwing it somewhere else, right when Mal did the same.

"Why does it feel like this is our first time?" The blonde asked, moving to the bed, and laying Evie down so carefully, treating her as if she was about to break, herself lying on top of her, lips kissing the tip of her nose, her eyelids, her cheeks, her chin, even her jaw until she left a single peck on her lips, them still brushing afterwards. "Why do I keep feeling like we've never done this before?"

"Because we haven't…" Evie whispered, tilting her head to the side, kissing her softly as her fingers tried to take the top of her bikini off, lips going down her neck until they reached her shoulder, touching her pale skin until she was left naked from waist up.

"What do you mean?" Mal whispered, pressing their bare chests together, eliciting a soft moan from the girl's lips just by doing so.

"Just… show me. You'll know at the end what this _new_ feeling is. I feel it too, by the way. It's not just you…" Evie put a strand of her hair behind her ear, leaving her hand on her cheek at the end, caressing her soft skin with her thumb as she fell once again for the tiny smile that always managed to form on her mouth every single time the brunette did that simple touch.

"It seems like you already know what it is," Mal whispered and unbuttoned her shorts, pulling them down the brunette's long legs along with her bikini panties, touching her skin with the tip of her fingers as she did so. Then, she was on her knees, unbuttoning her jeans and getting naked in just a few seconds as well under Evie's curious eyes.

"I have a slight idea of what it could be," the brunette smiled and pulled her closer once again by the back of her neck, connecting their lips instantly, her eyes closing just to focus on the not-so-new sensation, wanting to clear her mind and just feel Mal's hands roaming over her body, touching in all the right places. Feeling everything... that was what all of this was about.

The blonde pulled the sheets upwards, covering her until her lower back. Their chests pressed together once again as she lost herself in the kiss, _giving_ herself into the kiss. Plump lips finding full ones over and over again. The brunette's hands on Mal's back, scratching a bit right when the blonde pulled away from the kiss so slowly by biting her lower lip. Their breaths mingling together for a second before Evie softly kissed her once again, the blonde grabbing her hands and pinning them down above her head, the brunette taking the chance to intertwine their fingers, holding her hands as her body started to react to the situation.  
Her chest rising as her lungs breathed and her mouth slightly opened, gasping for air. A breathy moan escaping from her lips when Mal moved her hips downwards. Her back arching when the blonde started kissing down her throat as she moved her head a bit to the side to allow her more space right when she stopped holding her hands, her mouth instead walking down the valley of her breasts, her nose brushing against her skin, sending shivers all over the brunette's body. There was no need for speaking anymore, the second Evie closed her eyes she could feel everything Mal wanted to express. And now that the thought crossed her mind… she was an artist. A painter. Words weren't exactly her thing. She was just too good at drawing, at painting every single canvas using so many colors. And even when Evie knew that blue was _her_ color, she would've never guessed that green and yellow suit her as well.

Every kiss left on her body was green and yellow, sometimes accompanied by traces of pink and red. Her skin tinted in every single one of those colors; light green because Mal trusted her, dark green because she could still feel her fear of loving too much, different shades of yellow as serenity and joy filled her body, light pink that showed the tenderness and the delicacy, passion red that showed just that… the _want_ for each other, and bright red that meant love. Feelings they'd been hiding for so long and it was finally time to let them all out. To let them speak for themselves, to let them possess every backbone, to just... let them _live._

Mal left a few kisses on her abdomen before going up once again. Evie smiled when they locked eyes once again, a sigh leaving her lips, a _happy_ sigh, one that made the blonde chuckle in her mouth just by the sound of it. The brunette pinching her stomach so slightly because of her reaction.

"Hey!" She shout-whispered and left a kiss on the tip of her nose before letting her hands roam over the other girl's body, one of them stopping on her thigh, caressing the soft skin with the tip of her fingers, making the girl underneath her shiver in anticipation. "Evie?"

"Yes?" Evie breathed deeply and fell into emerald orbs, a smile adorning her lips as she did so. "Are you okay?"

Mal shook her head and kissed her once again, connecting their lips in a sweet kiss right when she touched where Evie needed, making the girl moan after breaking the kiss. "I'm perfectly fine. Never been better." She whispered before running her fingers up and down her folds, taking things slow, just like they always did. Until Evie completely took her by surprise and caused a moan to escape from her lips once she felt her hand between her thighs, doing exactly the same. The mischievous smile she loved so much present on the brunette's face.  
Mal rested her forehead against Evie's, taking a deep breath in the process, her lips connecting to the brunette's from time to time as their fingers continued to do wonders to each other. Soft moans against their mouths as they kept brushing their lips together. Those little sounds coming out of their throats; breathy moans, gasps, sighs, every _single_ sound driving them crazy because it just felt _so_ good to finally being able to give into love in the most beautiful way they could think of. Just a touch. And they were both gone.

Mal rested her head on Evie's shoulder when the brunette decided to enter two fingers inside of her, making her moan against her skin, stopping for a second the movements on Evie as she tried to recover her breath but she was making it hard because her fingers were going in and out in a steady rhythm, her own breath getting stuck in her chest as she moved her hips up a bit to remember Mal what she was doing before. The blonde suddenly realized that and did the same to her, her thumb rubbing her clit so slowly that Evie couldn't help but groan against her mouth, kissing her with passion as she increased the beat.

A few seconds later, when they both pulled away from the kiss to gain some air, right after Evie arched her back towards the blonde as another moan left her mouth, she locked eyes on Mal's, her pupils dilated and her lips slightly parting, telling her everything in just one look. They both wanted this. They felt the same want, passion, and love at that _exact_ moment. So Mal mimicked her movements, using the same speed, increasing it and slowing it down when they needed to. Their bodies pressed together, the feeling of becoming one increasing by each second that passed just as their movements became faster and faster until one final moan lost itself in Mal's mouth. Evie coming undone in her arms, somehow managing to continue moving inside of the blonde, who let it all go just a few seconds later, moaning the brunette's name against the skin of her neck, her body falling next to the girl.

As Mal recovered her breath, she positioned herself once again, half of her body on top of Evie's. Her legs intertwined as she brought a hand to her face, cupping her cheek as she leaned in and captured her lips in a soft kiss, her thumb caressing her skin right when she pulled away, her eyes still closed, her nose brushing against the others.

"I love you…"

Evie barely heard it, but it was there, hanging in the air. And she had to open her eyes to see her girlfriend's face just to make sure that was she heard was true. She gulped as she felt herself getting teary-eyed, a smile on her lips as she looked at the blonde, who was closing her eyes still, afraid of what she just said, afraid of letting go so easily even when she knew Evie would be there to catch her. And this time, she fell hard, and _Gosh,_ Evie was already there with both arms opened, catching the girl right in her arms.

"I love you and it's so damn scary," Mal chuckled, her eyes also filled with tears as she finally opened them to see Evie right in front of her, same look on her face as hers but with a smile on her lips, one that made the blonde smile as well.

"I know," Evie kissed her again. "And I can promise you I am not leaving, not now, not ever. I love you too much to just run away. I would rather run to you."

"And I am not disappearing without a warning. You don't have to be afraid," Mal tapped the tip of her nose and wiped away her tears as she kissed her again, softly. It lasted just a few seconds but enough to seal the promise. "Unless I tripped on something and I fall, which you know happens all the time because I'm the clumsiest."

Evie laughed against her lips and hugged the blonde in her arms. "Don't worry M, I will be there to catch you. Always."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"By the way, this new thing we just did… _making love._ We'll never stop doing that now." Mal said out of nowhere, finally realizing why did it feel like the first time, a laugh escaping from her lips at the her choice of words.

Evie chuckled, kissing her once again. "Told you."

* * *

She opened her eyes, blinking at the sunlight streaming through the curtains before sinking her face into the pillow, sighing, she didn't even know what time it was because usually, Evie woke up first to go to work. Leaving Mal sleeping in bed until she had to go to the art gallery. But not today, today was different. Both of them had a day off and the blonde with no longer purple tips had something planned. So, she stood up, walking slowly towards the place she hid what she needed and when she came back to their bedroom, she got in bed again, placing the item right behind Evie, knowing the girl would wake up soon and since she was positioned facing her, she wouldn't notice the surprise behind her until she roll over her back.  
Mal smiled at the view of her girlfriend sleeping with one of her big shirts. She moved a bit closer and placed a kiss on her forehead, her thumb caressing her cheek, before resting her head on the pillow and closed her eyes once again. It was 10 am, Evie would be up any minute from now, better fake sleeping than lying over why she was awake already.

It took less than fifteen minutes for Mal to notice the girl's eyes on her. She always managed to catch her in the act, especially when she was taking one of her long naps after working all night on a new canvas and Evie sat next to her, stroking her hair and waking her up in the process. And Mal used to hate everyone who woke her up when she didn't want to, but not with Evie. She couldn't be mad at her for spending time together, even when they saw each other all the time because they've been living together for the past 3 years. They couldn't get tired of it. There was no way.

"You keep doing that and it gets creepier every single day."

Evie jumped slightly and punched her arm, making Mal laugh and finally to open her eyes just to find bright hazel eyes staring back at her with a smile adorning her lips. "I hate you," she said laughing and with her hand cupping her cheek.

"No, you don't." Mal replied and leaned in to capture her lips in a soft kiss, making it longer than Evie expected but she kissed her back anyway, the same sweetest smile on her face after she pulled away just to whisper away against her lips; "Happy anniversary."

"Happy anniversary, babe." The brunette replied and kissed her once again, her hands tangled in blonde hair as she continued doing so. Mal pulling away just a bit but kept pecking her lips as Evie tried to make the kisses last longer. "You woke up eager today…" Mal chuckled against her lips and left one single kiss on her lips.

"It's our special day, I think it's enough of a reason to not get out of bed and stay here for a couple more hours…" She whispered and ran a hand through her messy hair, sensing something weird in her girlfriend. "Usually this is the other way around, when you try to get me to stay for a couple more minutes even when you know I have a business to rule."

"That's because you have _minions_ who work for you and don't need to be there at all times."

" _Workers,_ Mal. They're not my minions."

"You know what I meant. Besides, your assistant can take care of things while you're away? I mean, it's your business. Evie's 4 Hearts is going to be there if you're late." Mal shrugged and put on her innocent smile. "At least we have a week off to go celebrate our… 3rd-year anniversary?"

"Mal!"

"4th?" She tried again, totally messing with her.

"Stop it, you know it's been five years already." Evie threw her head back laughing and for a second Mal feared she was going to hit her present but it was a false alarm because the brunette was getting closer to her. "Can you believe it? I mean… I totally thought it would be a one-time thing when I laid my eyes on you."

" _Wow._ Thank you?" Mal laughed and played with her hair. "But I know the feeling. I was just a girl who wanted to create, to paint, to live through her art. I just wanted to have fun. So when I went out that night, after hours and hours of Carlos saying that I needed a night off and that it was time for me to meet his boyfriend's… well, _husband_ 's friends." She chuckled once again, not believing her best friend is now married to Evie's best friend. It was the night of their lives. And probably the night that opened Mal's eyes, _especially_ when she saw her girlfriend in that beautiful dress. "If anyone by then told me that I was going to have sex with Jay's best friend… I would probably not believe them."

"You would've punched them."

"Exactly."

Both of the girls laughed and Mal gulped, taking Evie's hand and played with her fingers using her own. A tiny smile on her face as she took a look at what she was doing, imagining what it was going to be like to do that in just a few minutes.

"What are you thinking of?" Evie asked, getting comfortable on the bed as she looked at her girlfriend with curious eyes. Her fingers also playing with hers.

" _Umm…_ I was just thinking about how lucky I am." Along the years, Mal managed to express her feelings, even when in front of everyone she continued to be the same badass she had always been, with Evie there was no boundaries, no walls, no shields. It was just Mal and her weakness, giving in. Something she managed to and now it was just easy to do so. "Because I managed to sleep with a random person, whom I was supposed to meet to realizing that I was _actually_ supposed to have a date with her because our best friends are the worst sometimes, and then knowing that _that_ just happened because we may be soulmates."

"M…" Evie whispered and looked down for a second because Mal didn't let her, she put a finger on her chin and raised her head, herself moving closer until they were face to face. Her nose brushing slightly against hers, making Evie blush and smile like an idiot in love.

"I mean it. I… never thought this would happen to me. Being five years straight with the same girl, of course we had our fights and almost one break up that I hope never happens again because we both suffered enough," Mal touched her jaw when she noticed a bit of tension building up because Evie had to bit down to control her feelings. "Those were the worst days of my life. I moved out, you stayed here… But we made it. And there's still a long road ahead of us, besides the one we're taking today." Both of them chuckled at this and Mal kissed the inside of her wrist and the tip of her fingers, Evie gulping because she already felt herself tearing up because of her words.

"I love you so much," the brunette whispered, a fact that made Mal stop doing what she was doing to look at her, a smile on her plump lips.

"I love you too," she said with confidence in her voice, right when Evie pulled her in to kiss her once again but the blonde moved away just a few inches before she could do so, laughing at her girlfriend's frown when she did so. "I just… have to ask you one thing."

"Mal if this is about our flight time, I told you yesterday we didn't have to wake up early because it's at 5 pm. We already packed andー"

"Will you marry me?"

"ーwe even have time to get lunch, wait, what?"

Evie opened her eyes widely right before a sigh escaped her lips. She was staring at her girlfriend trying to figure out if what she heard was true or just a product that her mind just made up. When the question left her mouth, Evie's body moved backward, just because she thought that by doing so she would see the blonde's face better and actually see if she was being serious or not. She was about to ask again when she felt something in her back, it was small was she could notice it touching her lower back. Evie turned her head around to look at it and went immediately back to look at Mal. "You're kidding, right?"

The blonde moved over her to grab the small box, not opening it yet and positioned herself once again in front of her, the brunette watching every move Mal made, not noticing the shy smile on her face and focusing on her fingers because she kept playing with the box in them.

"Mal, please, tell me you're kidding." Her girlfriend opened the small box and a sob escaped the brunette's lips, her hands covering her mouth just at the sight of a ring, a _perfect_ ring, one that screamed Evie Grimhilde in every single detail. From its white gold band to its classic sapphire. So simple and yet so delicate. "Mal," Evie repeated her name as the tears started to stream down her face.

"Evie," she repeated as well and chuckled, wiping away her tears and showing her _her_ ring. The one that held a promise of forever. "I mean it. And at first I wanted to do it differently but then I realized this is us, and we've always been spontaneous so why not surprising you, the day of our fifth anniversary, in bed with a ring instead of breakfast?" Mal took out the ring of its box and grabbed her hand, holding it tight, looking into Evie's eyes as she always did, with hers being as bright as ever. "I am not kidding. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I know you've been waiting for me to pop the question for a long time," the brunette chuckled at this and nodded, wiping away her own tears, "I didn't want to start the day with you as my girlfriend, I wanted to start the day calling you _fiancée._ And go to Disneyworld with you wearing this ring and showing it to your favorite princess as you say that you found your princess _and_ dragon, because I may be delicate as a flower," there went her chuckling again, "but I will always protect you like the dragon protects its castle. No matter what.  
So, Evie Grimhilde, _will you marry me_?"

Evie was a lost for words at this point, she couldn't stop crying and flicking her eyes between Mal and the ring. "Mal…" she whispered once again, she had never in her entire life said her names so many times in just a minute but she was… she was speechless. "It's so beautiful…" she whispered looking at the ring. Of course, she would say that first.

"I know, but Evie?"

"Yes?"

"Can you answer? I'm getting anxious here thinking you don't want toー"

"ーYes! _Yes!_ Of course, I'll marry you!"

Evie chuckled and kissed her right on the lips with both hands grabbing her face, kissing her over and over again. Both of them crying at this point.

"Let me…" Mal whispered against her lips before pulling away as Evie understood what she meant and offered her her hand, she was slightly shaking due to all the emotions her girlfriendー, sorry, her _fiancée_ kissed her hand right when she put the ring on her finger, suiting her perfectly. "Nailed it."

Evie laughed and extended her arm to look at the ring on her finger, "you did a great job I have to admit."

"You're surprised?" The blonde arched an eyebrow and let out a scream when Evie launched herself at her, lying now on top of her.

"I'm not. You know me so well."

"I do."

Both of them smiled at each other and went silent for a few seconds, admiring each other and enjoying their moment, because no one could take it away from them. Mal raised her head a bit until their lips touched Evie's, kissing her softly, trapping her bottom lip between hers, slowly parting her mouth to deepen the kiss, getting in lost in Evie for a few minutes. Loving her and _showing_ it, just like she liked to do, for a while.

"We're getting married…" The brunette whispered when she pulled away, gasping for air, a sweet smile on her lips. " _Gosh,_ Mal. We're getting married."

"We are, _mi amor."_ Evie smiled even more. Herself blushing because the blonde always took her by surprise with her Spanish, something she has learned over the years thanks to the brunette. "We're so getting married."

"From riding the beat together to getting married, _wow,_ big process. Think you can handle it?"

Mal smiled and bit her lower lip, the same tingling sensation she felt the night she met her in her stomach, driving her crazy, except that this time she totally knew what it was. And she couldn't wait to see what the future had for the both of them.

"Try me."

* * *

 _ **This is the end of an amazing ride. I loved writing this, I loved creating this modern universe where both of our favorite girls meet and fall in love over the years. It all started as a one-shot and looked what you guys made me do xD Honestly, this is all for you guys, you inspire me to create and create and continue to create every single day and I am so grateful for that.**_

 _ **Thank you for taking this ride with me and watching them take it on their own, all of us together.**_

 _ **Thank you, thank you 3**_

 _ **N. Nieve**_


End file.
